Speedster
by Stalokills
Summary: When a strange dimension explodes, it gives Marco strange abilities, unknown to anyone. When the strange trans-universal mercenaries known as Arch Angel recruit him, he faces something deadlier than monsters and demons. But can he face the reality of something bigger and more powerful than Star's magic? Inside of him? (Some suggestive language, but nothing over the proper rating)
1. Prologue

(Marco's POV)

"It was a normal day for Marco Diaz. Which was strange because he didn't get many of those. But today, his best friend, Star, was sick at home, meaning he had to go to school by himself. He was used to it before Star had showed up, but ever since being kidnapped by some other-dimensional monsters, he had been getting paranoid by himself. He walked all the way to the bus stop at a slow and cautious pace, looking left and right quickly at even the slightest sound. He reminded himself to calm down. Star had destroyed the monster castle, so Toffee wasn't coming after them anymore. Marco stopped at the bus stop and thought to himself that not even a couple of months ago, he would've called someone crazy if they said that to him. Well, times change. It's only realistic if you change with them. Marco looked over to talk with Star about it, but realized that she wasn't there. He turned back to the street a little annoyed. He wanted to stay and take care of her, but his parents had said that they could watch her, and that he should go ahead to school.

"Hey, Marco." someone said. He was so lost in thought, he hadn't noticed his crush, Jackie Lynn-Thomas skate next to him. He jumped, almost immediately embarrassed.

"Hey, Jackie. You scared me." He said. He could have face palmed. _Yeah, Marco_ , He thought, _Tell your life-long crush she scared you. Instant turn-on!_ To his relief, Jackie simply laughed, and Marco felt himself blush. There was something about her.

"So, you know the dance is coming up, and I was wondering if you were planning on going with anyone?" She asked nonchalantly, but kept her eyes on the floor as she did so. Marco felt his heart fly. Was Jackie Lynn-Thomas, the love of his life, asking him to the dance? He wanted to yell at the heaven's, but he needed to keep his cool.

"No, why do you ask?" He said. He was physically struggling to keep from bursting open.

"Uh, are you okay? You seem a bit...jumpy." She eyed him up and down, and Marco felt himself panic. So he forced himself to act cool.

"Who, me? Naw, I'm fine. Just a little...excited. Yeah, for, uh...something I'm doing with Star after school." He said. it sounded so lame, he would've pounded his head on the ground if she wasn't here.

"Uh, actually, I've been meaning to ask you this for a while, but...are...you and Star...?"

"...Are we what?"

"Are you two...dating?" It seemed so nonchalant, but it filled Marco with a sense of confusion and panic.

"No! I mean, no, we're not. What makes you think that?" He asked, wondering why she was asking him this.

"Well, almost half of the school thinks you two are dating, because you spend so much time together, and people rarely see you apart." She said. It was good reasoning, but it seemed so...ludicrous to him. Him and Star? Dating? No way that would ever happen. But then again, Star was an amazing person. But also his best friend. Wouldn't that be weird? He shook of those thoughts and faced Jackie.

"Me and Star are _not_ dating. We're best friends." He said. Jackie smiled.

"Oh, then she won't mind if you go to the dance with me, right?" Marco froze. The full weight of what Jackie just said seemed to reach her, and the smile was replaced by a look of horror. She looked Marco straight in the eye, and quickly turned and walked away. When she was gone, Marco realized he had missed an opportunity to ask Jackie to the dance. This time he really did face palm. But then was filled with confusion. Why did Jackie looked so horrified at the idea of going to the dance with him? She really didn't like him, did she? Marco sighed. But then a sense of confusion filled him. Why would Jackie hint at it if she didn't want to go with him? He was lost in thought, and then the bus came.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat up in bed. She already felt her sickness clearing up. She felt bad, because she wanted to go with Marco to school. Star couldn't explain it, but a weird feeling rose in her chest when she thought of her best friend. It made her stomach flutter with, in Earth terms, butterflies. She felt her face heat up. She was filled with dread. Maybe this sickness wasn't quite cleared up yet. Star took a tissue and blew her nose. She thought upon this strange sensation, and decide to call her parents. She touched the mirror.

"Call mom." She told it.

" _Calling Mom._ "It answered. At least when she was sick, it understood her. She waited a few seconds before her mother, Queen Butterfly, appeared on the glass.

"Oh, hello there, Star. You look awful, dear, what happened?"

"I'm just sick. I'm recovering, but I'm getting all these...weird feelings."She said.

"Like what, Star?" her mother asked.

"Well, my stomach feels all...fluttery. My face heats up, and heart starts going all wild. Maybe it's an allergy I just got?" Star said, curios. Her mother just smirked.

"Well...when do you get these feelings?" She asked. Star was too confused to notice her mother's tone.

"Usually when I'm around Marco. Or when I think about him. Or when I touch something of his. Wait, am I allergic to Marco?" She said. It would be horrible not to be able to hang out with him.

"Tell me, Star, when Marco isn't around, what do you feel?" Queen Butterfly asked. Star was confused, but thought for a moment.

"...Well, I feel...sad, I guess. I miss him...a lot. I...don't know." She said. For the first time in her life, she was unsure.

"Star, this feeling, it is as old as time." Her mother said. Star was even more confused.

"Really? So you know what it is?" She asked.

"Star...you are in love." She said. Star felt her jaw droop. In love? Sure, Oscar was a great guy, but she barley called it love. She decided to prod.

"With who?" She asked.

"Young Marco, obviously." She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Star felt herself disbelief fill her. In love? With Marco? No way! He was her best friend, that could never happen. Granted, he _was_ a little attractive. And he was always worried about her. And he stayed with her, even after he was kidnapped. But in love with him? That wasn't possible.

"Now, Star, before you get all weird about it, it's completely natural."

"...But...are you sure it's Marco?"She asked.

"Only one way to be sure. Get closer. If you don't feel this way around him, it's not him. If you do, it is."

"...But...he's my best friend." She said.

"Only why this makes more sense. You know everything about each other. Just do it. Then you'll be sure. I got to go, your father is about to try and fight that elf king again." Then the image on the mirror disappeared, leaving Star staring at it aghast. In love with Marco? The idea was so...unthinkable. She couldn't be. But what if she was? It could be nice. But what if Marco didn't feel the same way? She would ruin their friendship if she tried something. Maybe she should take her mom's advice. And she knew exactly what to do.


	2. Origins

(Marco's POV)

Marco made his way through the halls. The school day had just ended, and he hadn't seen a sign of Jackie. He had hoped he would get another chance to ask her to the dance, but with what happened earlier, he wasn't expecting much of it. What was weird was that she wasn't at school all day. So where was she. Probably out hiding, Marco reasoned. Was it really that embarrassing to go to the dance with him? He didn't think so, but then again, he wasn't most people. All in all, Marco Diaz was having a very bad day.

 _I just want to go home_ , he thought. He sighed and made his way onto the bus. Jackie wasn't there, and neither was Star, so he was bored out of his mind. He pulled out his phone and was about to text Jackie, only to stop when he remembered what had happened earlier. He thought about what to talk to her about, but it would just be awkward, so he sighed and put his phone away. He laid back and closed his eyes, somehow exhausted by today's happenings. He was even more exhausted when someone unexpected sat next to him.

" _Heey_ , Marco." Janna said, stretching out the "hey" a little. Marco sighed, exasperated.

"Hey, Janna." He said. He looked out the window, refusing to look at her.

"Why the long face, buddy? You get robbed or something." She said. _Not yet,_ Marco thought spitefully.

"I'm tired. Could you do this another time? I'm pretty sure I saw some unrobed convenience stores on the way over here." He said, surprised at his own irritation, but not surprised at who he was aiming it.

"I'll get to that later, first, I want to talk about you." She said, scooting closer. He groaned.

"Look, Janna, I'm tired, and I just want to go home. Can we _please_ do this some other time?" He said. Janna scoffed.

"Whatever. You'll need me soon enough, Diaz." She said, mischievously. Then she was gone. Marco was momentarily relieved, but then sighed. He spoke to no one in particular.

"She has my house keys, doesn't she?"

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star paced back and forth through her room, nervous about tonight. If she was right, it might help her reveal her true feelings. But what would they be? What would she feel towards her best friend? Friendship? Likeness? Something more? This was one of the rare times she wasn't really sure of something. And it drove her crazy. How come Earth wasn't like Mewnie? she was always so sure on Mewnie. If this was Mewnie, Star would be sure if she was in love with Marco or not. But this wasn't Mewnie. Star couldn't be sure of anything here, it was so different. But...she had to be sure of this. One way or another, it'll all turn out fine. Lost in thought, Star heard the door open.

"Star, I'm home!" Marco's voice called. Star jumped then relaxed.

"Oh, it's just Marco...MARCO!" She suddenly panicked and looked left and right frantically for somewhere to hide. She jumped and slid under her covers, making sure her head wasn't see-able. There was a knock on Star's door.

"Star, you in there?" He asked. Star whimpered, panicked. _What do I do?_ She thought. "Star, you okay? Are one of the laser puppies hurt?" Star grunted and got up.

"Yeah, I'm here." She said loudly. She stood up and walked over to the door. She straightened out her dress, took a deep breath, then opened the door. There stood Marco, but instead of his usual smile he looked tired. Star forgot her uncomfortableness and was immediately concerned about him. "You okay, Marco?"

"Yeah, just tired. So you...uh, star your hair is a little messed up." He said.

"Really?" She said, touching her head self-consciously.

"Here, I got it." He said. He touched her hair, and Star immediately felt that warm, strange feeling inside her. Panicked, she pushed him away.

"I-It's fine, I got it." She said, quickly using some magic on her hair and laughing nervously. Marco stood there looking confused, but just shrugged in the end.

"All right. Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to do anything today. I've, uh, haven't been having the best of days." He said. _This is it. Just get it over with, Star._ She mentally prepared.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to go back to the land of time. It'd be nice to see Father Time again, right?" She said, looking for a cover.

"Uh, yeah, sure, if you want to. I couldn't hurt. As long as we don't freeze time again." he said.

"Don't worry, Marco. There are other ways to have fun there." She said, the realized how strange it sounded and quickly shut her mouth. Marco looked even more confused.

"...All right, then. You want to go now?" He asked. Star nodded quickly, not moving from her spot. Marco waited a few seconds. "...Are you going to use your scissors?" She nodded again, still not moving from her spot.

"Star, are you-" Suddenly she took out her scissors and made a portal in one swift motion. She grabbed his arm and pushed him into the portal. Marco fell a second before landing on something seemingly made of metal. He stood up and rubbed his head where the metal had made contact. He looked around and saw the familiar, yet strange, sight of contorted clocks and blue sands. This was definitely the land of time.

"Here we are!" Star shouted. Marco noticed that, instead of her normal cheer, her words where held back, hesitant. She seemed nervous.

"Star, are you okay?" He asked. Star's body motions made it clear she was hiding something.

"What?! Pfft, of course. Now let's go see Father Time!" She said, her words going by in a fury, and she launched away, moving quickly. Marco struggled to keep up.

"Star! Wait up! Man, I wish I could go faster." He said. He continued to chase Star throughout the lands, until she finally stopped. He stopped, resting his hands on his knees, breathing hard. He continued to do that for a few seconds, until his breath caught up with him and he stood up. He looked at Star, then at the scene before them. It was a large pool, filled with a strange emerald green waters, the banks covered and lined with emeralds of the same color. Marco looked around for a sign telling them what it was, but couldn't see anything. He turned to Star.

"Uh, Star, what is this?" He asked.

"It's the pools of k'aatech. Come on, give me your hand." She said. She took her hand, and Marco felt himself blush, but h is confusion over-ruled his uncomfortableness.

"Uh, why are we doing this Star?" He asked. Star didn't answer, just knelt near the banks of the pool and put her hand on one of the jewels. After a few seconds, when it seemed nothing would happen, the stones turned a deep ruby red, as did the rest of the waters. Star and Marco gasped, Marco more out of amazement and Star more out of shock. Star removed her hand and took a couple of steps back, like she had just been told she would die.

"...It's true." She said, barely above a whisper. Marco looked at her funny.

"Star, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Touch it." She said quietly. Marco was confused again.

"What?" He asked.

"Just touch it! I...I need to know." She said and pulled him to the banks, pushing him to the ground. Marco looked at her funny, but then shrugged, deciding it was better to just go along with it. He put his hand on the stone, just like Star did, and for a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, all of a sudden, it burst into a deep ruby red, just like it had with Star. He turned to Star, confused.

"What's going on Star? Why are you acting so weird? And what exactly is this thing?" He interrogated her. He stood up and let go of her hand. Star looked at the waters for a few more seconds, then to her hand, as if she was in shock of something drastic that had just happened. Star looked at Marco, a mask of shock on her face. Then, all of a sudden, she smiled.

"Marco...it's-" He never heard what she said next. There was a large booming sound, and everything turned black.


	3. Waking up

(Star's POV)

Star stood outside of the hospital room where they kept him. Multiple wires and tubes were attached to him, the steady beeping of the machine added to the crushing silence that over took her. Two weeks since it happened...and she still cried. They said he was in a coma, that...he might not wake up. It was almost unbelievable. She stared at him through the dirty window. She realized something. She was in love with him. Truly in love. And it was her fault he was like this. She had almost killed him. It was her fault. She stared down at the ground, unable to look up at the injured person in front of her. Tears blurred her world, and fell slowly to the ground. She continued to look down, guilt overwhelming her. But she needed to be strong. Just for these few moment. She built up her strength. She walked in.

"...Hey, Marco." She said, in an attempt to have a cheerful tune to her voice. But the tears broke her, so she wasn't successful. But she kept trying. "Nice to see you again. Your, uh parents are still staying strong. Trying to be cheerful. But I'm, uh, not as happy as I usually am...and I, uh, wanted to...come to say...good bye."

She waited in silence, as if the boy in front of her would come up and respond. The silence crushed her heart, made her tears come stronger.

"I also wanted to...say I'm sorry." She tried to talk, her voice cracking, emotion clogging her throat. "It...it was all my f-fault. It's better if...I j-just go. We did have some good times. Remember when we went to the bounce lounge with pony head?." There was no answer. She knew he couldn't talk, but she had to get this all off her chest.

"I'll never forget you. No matter what. B-but if you forget me..." she chocked out. That dreaded beeping kept going, as if counting the final moments of a life. But there was silence from Marco. She cried a few more tears and smiled sadly upon her friend.

"I-I...I loved you...Marco. Even though...I-I didn't want to admit it...but...I loved you. That's why...I'm leaving. If I stay...next time...won't be a hospital. If you..." She couldn't get the word out. She could accept it might happen, it could happen, but she couldn't say it out loud. She stumbled and put both hands on the metal bar in front of her, crying hard. She couldn't stand the thought that that might happen. She looked at the boy she fell in love with, dying slowly on a hospital bed, not being able to move, speak.

"I-I'm sorry...Marco...goodbye." She said through thick tears. after a few second, she turned and left, walking quickly out the room. As she did, she turned to look at the boy she fell in love with one more time. She knew he probably couldn't hear her, but she didn't care. She hoped he could. She drew a final glance at her best friend.

"I wish...things could've turned out different...I love you...Marco." She whispered. And then she left, not seeing the twitch in his finger, that one little sign of life.

So she left. She left him alone in the dark, and went back to Mewnie.

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco woke up to a blinding light, and a feeling of being light-headed. He groaned, putting a hand on his head. He felt something strange on his...everything. He opened his eyes, adjusting them to the light. He was covered with strange wires and tubes. He grabbed one and, weakly, pulled it off. His whole body felt weak, slow. He continued to slowly pull them off, one by one, until a long constant beep could be heard. He pulled off most of them and stood up. He stayed still shakily, struggling to keep his balance. He steadied himself and took one shaky step. Then another. Then another. Pretty soon he was walking steadily, making his way down the hallway of the hospital. He wasn't sure what he was walking towards, but he knew it was something important. He drew in shaky breaths as he continued his way. He then felt a pair of hands grab him, and he shook them off. He felt this...indescribable urge to...move. He took another step. Then there were multiple hands pulling him back. He was too weak to fight, so he had no choice but to let them take him. He was brought back to the room. At this point, he felt some of his energy returning, but he still felt sleepy. He took in a deep breath, looking around. There were multiple people around him, doctors he guessed.

"Marco?" Someone said. A deep voice. "Can you hear me?"

"...yeah." Marco said, barely hearing him.

"Why were you walking?" The doctor asked. Marco didn't have an answer to the question, but his stomach felt empty.

"...I'm hungry. You have any food?" He asked, looking at the doctor. He had blonde hair, and looked a little young for a doctor.

"Of course, the nurse will be back with something to eat at anytime. Marco, can you tell me what happened to you? How did you get like this?" He asked.

"...That, my good sir, is between me and my best friend. Sorry." Marco said.

"Would you like to see you're family?" He asked.

"...Yes, please. That would be nice." The doctor nodded and got up, disappearing for a moment. While he was alone, Marco started to wonder what happened. He remembered...he was with Star...there was a pool...and...nothing. After that, it was just...blank. He couldn't remember what happened next. It was all fazed, blurry. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate, but...couldn't remember anything past then. Maybe he would just ask Star. Just then there was the sound of a door opening. Marco opened his eyes and saw his parents, standing there, a look of shock on their faces.

"Hey mom, hey dad. You wouldn't happen to have a change of clothes, would you?" He asked. They both smiled and ran towards him, grasping him in a large bear hug. It didn't hurt, surprisingly. Marco laughed and hugged them back.

"All right, all right." He said. There was a knock on somewhere to his left, and Marco looked over. There stood a girl, maybe a little older than him, dressed in scrubs, with fiery red hair. She held a plate of assorted foods, like a banana and a plate of oatmeal. Marco sat up, hungrier than he was before.

"Here you are." She said handing him the plate. Marco gave her a thanks, and greedily ate, his stomach never seeming to be filled. His parents watched him with sad and happy smiles on their faces. He finished the food he was given, and looked at his parents. He seemed to see through their smiles that something was bothering them.

"...Uh, mom, dad? What's wrong?" He asked. They looked at each other, then back to Marco.

"It's nothing, mijo. We'll tell you when you get better." His dad said. Marco looked at them strangely, and was about to ask a question, but just then the doctor walked back in.

"All right, Marco. It seems that you're fine. No major injuries or burns, you seem good to go. But I must say, it is kind of strange that you didn't endure any major injuries in the class of explosion you were in. I'm quite impressed." Marco was filled with confusion

"Wait...explosion? What explosion?" Marco asked. The doctor looked at Marco strangely, then back to the papers, then up at Marco.

"...Marco, what's the last thing you remember?" He asked. Marco combed his mind to gather the bits and pieces he remembered.

"...I was out with...someone...and...there was a...something about...water...that's about it. What's wrong with me?" He asked, talking to himself more than the doctor.

"Well, it seems the explosion may have caused some memory lose. Although we were not expecting this, I'm sure you'll be fine. They should be back in no time. But until then, I suggest you take at least to recover. Unless, of course, you want to go home now. In that case, you'll have to take some of these specially made pills with you, in case of any panic attacks or hidden symptoms." The doctor tried to give Marco's parent the prescription, but Marco shook his head.

"I'm sure I'll be fine. But...do you know where my clothes are?"


	4. Moving on

(Marco's POV)

About a week out of the hospital, Marco was now fully recovered from his accident, although he hadn't been hurt before. He was in his house, about to finally go to school. He took in a deep breath, a little nervous about what the kids at school had to say. He grabbed one of his hoodies, but as he looked at it, the red it was colored was suddenly uncomfortable. He put it down, a little confused on why he was doing so. He put one a plain black shirt and went to knock on Star's door, then he remembered...she wasn't here. He pulled his hand away, sadness overtaking him. She was back in Mewnie now. He wondered if she was having any fun without him. Probably, she was Star Butterfly. She could have fun no matter what. He sighed and turned to go downstairs, but as he did, he thought about his parents. They loved him, as he was. He owed to them to go back to normal. He sucked it up and went back into the room, picking up the hoodie. He stared at it, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He sucked it up and put it on. As he did, he felt the red around him, and it was...nice. He liked it. He shook his head. it was ridiculous, you couldn't _feel_ color. He went downstairs.

"Bye, mom. Bye, dad." He said, and made his way outside. His parents called their goodbyes, and he walked towards the bus stop. As he did, he thought about the kids at school, and what they heard about his condition. He got to the bus stop, and found it was devoid of life as usual. He stood next to the sign, jus like usual, waiting in the empty street. He looked out in front of him, his mind going slower than he would like it to. He didn't bother looking around for the bus, it always got him to school on time.

"Well, isn't this a coincidence?" Someone said. He looked to the left to see...the nurse. Chelsea, was it? She had her fire hair in tied in a pony tail, and a wide smile on her face.

"Hey. Didn't think I'd see you here." Marco said, smiling a little.

"Well, I must answer in kind. So, you go to Echo Creek?" She asked. Marco nodded.

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm going to graduate at the end of the year. So...you need some guidance, since you probably lost all your memory?" She said, jokingly. He immediately thought of Star, and sobered a little.

"No, it's fine." He said. There was a long lapse of silence as he gathered his thoughts. He woke himself up mentally, trying to lighten up.

"Hey, wanna play a prank?" Chelsea asked out of nowhere. Marco looked at her confused.

"...What?" He said.

"A prank. Half of the people at Echo think you're dead, so this could be a _great_ opportunity." She said.

"...I don't know..."

"Oh, come on. All you have to do is act broody and stuff, like...how you think a ghost would act."

"...I don't think people will buy it." He said. "Plus, I'm not really the pranking type."

"Seriously? Look, please, just this once."

"...I'm not sure about this."

"I'll do anything, just this once." She said, giving him a pleading look. He sighed.

"Look, I just want to go back to a normal life, so I'm sorry, but I can't."

"I thought you liked doing all this dangerous stuff. At least, that's what your parents said." Marco flinched. He had done a lot of dangerous stuff, but that was with Star. Now she was gone. So it was only fair for that part of him to go, too. Or was it? He sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry. Maybe we can do it another time." He said.

"It's a date." She said. Marco blushed at the word "date," and was about to protest. Just then the bus stopped with a screech in front of them. Marco didn't flinch at the sudden action. In fact, it kind of amused him. The world was going back to normal.

"Well, if it isn't the safe kid, back from the dead. You getting on?" His old bus driver. He smiled. The world was going back to normal...

Could he?

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star stood in her room, looking sadly at her current attire. A fancy dress. She wanted to wear her normal clothes, or at least the ones she had on earth. Thinking of earth led her to think of Marco. She had found out that they were in love, and not even thirty minutes later, she...

Never mind. It was over now. Marco couldn't be hurt because of her. Star looked down at the ground, feeling the tears welling up. She told herself she couldn't cry, it would ruin her make-up. Her mother was planning a ball, and Star was to attend, for an important announcement. She didn't want to, she was in a horrible mood now. Bit she had to, it was royal matters, and the Princess of Mewnie had to be present. Star sighed. Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Princess?" One of her servants, Collins. "The Queen requests your presence." Star sighed. She sucked up all the sadness and stood, walking to the door.

"I'm ready, Collins." She said, loudly and monotone. The door opened and Star sighed. The old man Collins led her through the hallways of her luxurious castle, and into the main hall, where many of the inter-dimensional royals were gathered. Star's mom approached her.

"Star, you look lovely tonight." The Queen said.

"Thanks, Mom." Star said, smiling. Her mother rewarded her in kind, giving a friendly smile.

"Your father will be here any minute, so I need to tell you this before the announcement. Do you remember the kingdom of Draconia?" Of course she did. Not only was it filled with the universe's shiest people, but it was twice the size and quantity of Mewnie. It's army alone could outnumber theirs five to one, and they had superior fighting techniques.

"Of course. I was friends with the prince, Kalahari, when we were younger."

"Well...the Draconians have been making some threats, and for the sake of the kingdom, we had to strike a treaty." She said. Star was confused. What did this have to do with her?

"I don't need to know this, Mom. Treaties aren't exactly my thing." The W=Queen's smile was replaced by a look of regret.

"...That's not it. The Draconian council is demanding...your hand as a part of the treaty."

"They want to cut off my hand?!" She asked, confused and horrified. Her mother shook her head.

"No, no, Star, it's worse than that...they want you...to marry the prince." She said. Star's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"...What?" She said in almost a whisper. Her mother put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Star, but we have no other choice. If we risk war with Draconia, our kingdom could be annihilated." She said. Star pushed her mother's hand away.

"Then ask them to think of something else, gold, or jewels." She drastically spoke, denying what she had just been told.

"We can't Star...we already accepted." The last words rang through Star's head like a gong of doom, each crashing through her heart in a horrible way. She backed up, not bothering to hide her tears, looking at her mother with a mask of shock. Given the current condition of the kingom, it was the best solution, for the rest of the kingdom, and the peolpe. They had to come first, but why...why did it seem so wrong? She couldn't go through with it. She seemed frozen to that spot, grief-stricken. When she came to her senses, she turned and ran full-sprint to her room. She crashed in and closed the door behind her, falling on the bed, letting her tears empty themselves.

"I...love him. I love him. I...don't want to." She told herself, thinking of Marco. She wondered that, if she had stayed on earth, would this be happening? Of course it would. The only thing that would change was the number of people crying. The number of broken hearts. Why did she keep getting her heart broken?

 _Marco..._ was Star's last thought as she drifted off, once again finding herself crying herself to sleep.


	5. The Strangers

(Marco's POV)

School was just ending, and Marco sat in class. Usually school excited him, but now it was kind of...tame to him. He didn't know what was wrong, but it just wasn't exciting. Not anymore, at least. He never thought this before, at least, not until he met Star. He thought about Star, and immediately became sad. He enjoyed the adventure they had together, going through dimensions, fighting monsters. They were the perfect team. And even though it was dangerous and strange, it was exciting. Fun.

He missed her an awful lot, but was over-all confused, he had her to blame for that. He thought about the last words he heard from her. _Marco, it's-_. What did that mean? What the heck was going on then? He contemplated those two words over and over in his head, thinking hard on what they meant. He was so lost in thought, he didn't hear the bell ring, and was only notified about it when Jackie Lynn-Thomas tapped him on the shoulder.

"Marco, it's time to go." She said. He swiveled his head to look at her.

"Huh? Oh, right." He said, getting up and making his way out the door. Jackie walked besides him, but she kept her gaze at the ground or at her side, away from him. He wondered what was going on in her head. Did she feel bad about his accident? No, that couldn't be it. He let it go and looked forward, and a familiar face caught his eye. He turned back, looking past Jackie, and saw...the doctor from the hospital.

He was dressed in a custodian's outfit, mopping away. Looking straight at Marco. He never stopped his movement...and gave Marco a small smile. Marco didn't notice Jackie leave from in front of him, and he didn't care. Why was his doctor at his school. Marco took a step towards him, but a scream of someone's name got his attention, a familiar voice.

"Janna!" Jackie yelled. Marco swerved his head, looking in the direction of the voice. He saw a car, barreling towards Janna. Janna froze, and Marco felt a flush of panic and adrenaline. He ran towards her, feeling a rush of heat throughout his body, and grabbed Janna by the waist, tackling her out of the way. He tripped as he did so, and fell on the ground, dragging Janna down with him, causing him to hit his shoulder as he ground the pavement. He rolled a little, and heard the crushing of metal and concrete, signaling a collision. Marco groaned and rolled his head, a sharp and throbbing pain on the back of his shoulder. The position he was in caused him to take all of the damage, so luckily Janna wasn't hurt. He stood up and looked at Janna, who was laying on the pavement, eyes widened like a deer in headlights, shivering and shacking.

"Janna?" He said. She didn't answer. "Janna!" He yelled, getting her attention. "Are you okay?" He asked, shaking her slightly to get her attention. Janna looked at him, those eyes wide and blank for a second, before she tackled him in a hug, crying into his shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said hysterically into him. He hugged her, letting her get rid of her fear and shock. Under that tough girl act, she was actually surprisingly emotional. He looked at the crash. The car's entire front end was flattened, crushing against the side of the school, cracks in the concrete where it made impact. Marco realized that if she had been in it's path...she would've been dead. Even if she was grazed, she could've been mortally wounded. He had saved her life. He breathed, recovering from the sudden rush of adrenaline, or whatever that sensation earlier was. He attempted to get up, but the broken girl hugging him apparently would not allow it. He looked over and saw Jackie running over to his location, worry apparent all over her face.

"Oh, my god, are you okay?!" She yelled, stopping next to him. She assumed that she was talking to Janna.

"She doesn't look hurt." Marco said. He forced her head up with both hands and looked at her, studying her face for bruises or cuts. "Are you okay?" He asked again. She nodded quickly, not talking, instead making a small whimpering sound. She quickly jumped back into his chest, crying again. He looked at Jackie.

"Get her home, okay?" He asked her. Jackie looked at him, not saying anything for a second, then nodding.

"Okay...thank you, Marco." She said. She grabbed Janna's arm, and Janna jumped onto her, letting herself be taken away while still hugging her tightly. Marco watched them leave, then he leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes. That was way too close. Janna could've been hurt really bad...or worse. He then felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Chelsea was standing over him...a smile on her face. _What the...?_ He looked at her for a second.

"Um...hi." He said awkwardly. He expected praise for his actions, or even resentment for risking his life.

"So you really _are_ him, aren't you?" She asked. Marco looked at her, confusion filling him. That...wasn't what he was expecting.

"Um...what?" He asked, trying to get her to clarify.

"I mean, I guessed it was you, but I was only, like, seventy percent sure. But you're really him!" She said excitedly. He looked at her for a second, slowly putting together in his mind that she was insane.

"...Okay, then." he chuckled nervously. "I'm, uh, just gonna go home. You know...stuff." He said, and got up, attempting to walk away, but Chelsea grabbed his arm and dragged him behind her while she walked quickly. "Hey, what are you doing?" He said, panicking. He attempted to free himself, but the girl had an iron grip.

"Come on, Mason's waiting." She said. Marco was once again confused.

"Who the heck is Mason?" He asked, attempting to free himself again.

Chelsea pulled him until they were both behind the school. She then turned around and pulled him into a full grasp, putting both arms underneath his and clasping his back, smiling wickedly at him, and his face burned.

"Hold on." She said lowly.

"Um...what?" He said.

Suddenly he felt the ground disappear, and a rush of wind appeared all around him. He felt a rush of adrenaline, and the sudden weightlessness scared him He looked at the ground...about fifty feet below. He froze, hugging tightly to the nearest familiar and solid item near him. Which was, coincidentally, laughing hysterically.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" Chelsea yelled, but Marco barely comprehended, for he was screaming loudly.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star had not gotten out of her room,, and was simply sitting there, feeling sorry for herself. But overall, she was angry. At her mom, her dad, the government, Draconia, even the small butterfly that had just flown innocently by her window. She had always been told that arranged marriages were _usually_ how may princesses ended up, but she never thought that she would be caught in one. And now that she was engaged, she couldn't be with...

She sighed, trying to keep in her tears, but it looked like she didn't need any help. She never knew what it was like to cry yourself out, but...now she did. She had cried all her tears, to where she couldn't make any more. That thought was depressing in itself. She needed something to lift her spirits, something to make her happy.

 _Oh, what about Pony Head!_ She thought. _No, She's back in Saint O's._ She laid down and sighed. She was so sad all the time, but now she was just...bored. She had never been bored with Marco. She wondered about him. How was he fairing without her? Was he sad all the time like her? Or did he move on?

Then Star sat up, a realization striking her. _He never said goodbye._ She had left before he got to. Did he think she left without saying goodbye? Did he think what she said was...a lie?

Star was wrong. she had one tear left. She wiped it away and stood up, a new determination in her. She had to get over it. Nothing could change it, and if she spent the rest of her life scanning over it, she would go crazy. She stood up and made her way through the castle. besides, now that she was gone, Marco was safe. Ludo wouldn't go after him, and he had no other enemies. He would be fine. He would stay alive. That thought sent a little ray of hope into Star's sad attitude.

Star made her way downstairs, a light remade in her. Just as she stepped in the kitchen, her mother called to her.

"Star, is that you?" She asked. Star felt a ping of annoyance, but answered nonetheless.

"Yes, mom, it is." She said. Her mother walked into the room in a fancy outfit. She always wore one, but this one was especially fancy.

"I know this is all...a little fast. And you just had that experience with the Diaz boy, but...you need to meet with your suitor." She said reluctantly. Star eyes widened. Her suitor? Here? Now?

"...Mom...I don't want to get married."

"I know, sweetheart, and I wish there was another way. But this is how it has to be. I'm sorry." Star looked at the ground. She didn't love her suitor. A stranger. Someone she probably never met nor seen. She loved Marco. "Now, he's here, so come meet him."

Star sucked it up, and walked into the room. Then froze.

"Kalahari?!"

* * *

(No one's POV)

"Who are you?" Tom asked the figure in front of him. A tall man, dressed in all black, with a mask of a wolf that was all contorted. He radiated a certain evil that Tom found...satisfying.

"Have you heard the saying...'the enemy of my enemy is my friend?'" He asked. Tom looked at him, confused.

"How did you get past the guards?" He asked.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. I have...a proposition for you." He said. "Do you remember...Marco Diaz?" He asked. In a sudden fit of anger, Tom crushed the goblet he was holding. That maggot who stole his dance. He didn't want anything to do with him, nor anyone who had anything to do with him.

"You have five seconds to leave before I burn you alive." He said, anger building. He counted down in his head.

"You can't beat me, so listen up. I have-"

"Five." He said, and sent a long ray of demon fire over the stranger. He felt a certain joy at burning this stranger. Who did he think he was, talking to him like that? He was the Demon Prince, more powerful than this-

Suddenly, a large black figure was next to him. The man grabbed his throat and hoisted him up like a rag doll. He tried, but couldn't remove the hand, so he sent a large explosion of flames onto him. After a few seconds, the smoke disappeared, and the man was still standing, unharmed. He laughed. He laughed!

"What...are...you...?" Tom chocked out. The figure laughed again.

"Kill Marco Diaz...and I give you what you want...Star." He said. The pressure was released from Tom's neck, and he fell to the ground gasping for air. He looked up and the stranger was gone, as if he was never there in the first place. Tom felt...fear. This man had faced the most powerful demon in existence and _laughed._ He had put him to the ground with no trouble at all, and made _him_ an offer. It made Tom angry, but...he did want Star. And payback on that Diaz boy would be sweet. So all he had to do was kill Marco?

 _Well, look out Diaz._ Tom thought. _Here comes Tom._


	6. Arch Angel

(Marco's POV)

Marco landed on his feet, but slipped on the concrete and fell on his back. Panicked, he pushed back away as Chelsea floated and landed softly in front of him. She seemed to glide through the air like it was water. Marco looked at her, some parts of him impressed, confused, afraid, and surprised. He stood up and got into a defensive karate position, careful not to let his guard down.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"I already told you my name, though most call me Flyer. But you got special friend privileges." She said, with a strange smile on her face. Marco looked at her, his fear and guard going down a little, until he shook his head to clear it and got back into his stance.

"Just what do you want with me, anyways?" He asked. Chelsea rolled her eyes.

"So smart, but no common sense. Eh, it's only expected I guess." She turned around, and Marco saw someone walking in their direction.

 _Who is this, now?!_ Marco thought. The man, it appeared, got close enough for Marco to see him. It was the doctor from the hospital, or the janitor. Whatever he was, he was here. He walk at an impossibly slow pace it seemed, and each step seemed to echo in the open space as it hit the concrete.

"Hello, Marco. My name is Mason, you can call me Ground-shaker." He said. Marco looked at him strangely, eyebrow raised.

"I gave him that name!" Chelsea said excitedly. _That makes more sense._

"Yes, right. Anyways, you're probably confused, because I don't think Chelsea explained anything thoroughly-"

"Hey, I can be smart!" She said defensively.

"-so I will tell you something very important. Follow me." He turned and walked away, leaving Marco behind. Marco looked after him confusedly, and then Chelsea was behind him, pushing him forward.

"Come on, we don't have all day, man!" She said. He looked behind him, surprised at the speed she had appeared behind him. As she led him, he looked around and noticed that they were at an airfield. It was a runway for a military base just outside of the town, condemned after World War two. Rumor had that it was still running secretly, but Marco never had the guts to check it out for himself. And he didn't think now was the time to be thinking about local myths. Instead his brain was swirled with questions. Who were these people, and why did they take him here?

They walked into the front of the dome-like structure, and Marco looked around. It was all old metal, wood, and cobwebs. No one came here. Panic rose in Marco. Were they planning to kill him and leave his body here? The police would search for weeks and never find his body. He looked around, searching for a weapon or any chance to escape. There were a series of beeps in front of him and he looked forward. Mason stood there, and all of a sudden, a light appeared at the bottom, a small lining of light. Then the light grew upwards, quickly like a latch. It stopped, and Marco saw that it had the shape of a door. Was it a hidden entrance? Mason looked back at Marco.

"Come on." He said, then turned forward and walked into the light, his body seemed to disappear as it touched the light. Marco looked at the thing fearfully. Today was just confusing. Marco was now sure that they were planning to kill him.

"Come on, we don't have all day, Diaz." Chelsea said, and pushed him hard into the light. Unable to stop himself, he fell forward into the light. It seemed to blind him almost instantaneously, and he moved back, moving his arms out to the sides to find something solid, or to ward off any attacking things. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted, and he begun to make out shapes. There, only a few inches of front of him, was Chelsea, and Mason stood a few feet away with his arms crossed. Marco didn't get into a defensive position, but he didn't let his guard down.

"Well, we should get to it, shouldn't we?" Chelsea asked. Marco looked at her strangely. Mason sighed.

"Marco, before I tell you anything, I'm going to tell you about us. We belong to an organization called Arch Angel. We are a multiverse protection agency, if you will. We are made up of individuals who exhibit...special abilities. Chelsea here has flying, obviously, and I...well, that's a conversation for another time. We have noticed you're rather _unique_ injuries, and recognized some magic particulars in you."

"Wait...magic?" He said. Star could use magic. Was...Star's magic in him?

"Oh, he can talk." Chelsea said. Mason rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Yes, magic. Since the spell was cast a while ago, I couldn't recognize it right away, but after some time I figured it out. A time-stop spell." Mason walked towards Marco. "See, that spells residue was morphed into your skin and blood, perhaps even your brain." He said.

"Wait, so...I have a spell in me?! Won't that kill me?" Marco said, all of a sudden panicked.

"Oh, no. In fact, there is something good about it. In these cases, depending on the spell, people that received the M-type Bondage, as we call it, also receive the ability to manipulate and control the spell's properties. Since you have the time spell, we're guessing you have the possible ability to manipulate time."

"So...I can time travel?" Marco said, still a little confused.

"No, though if you did, I'm afraid we'd have to sedate you, you'd be too much of a risk. No, your spell is a time _stop_ spell. Meaning you can speed time up or slow it down, almost to a stop possibly, but you can't rewind it."

"...How can you be sure of all this?"

"Besides the physical evidence, we weren't sure, until we saw you save that girl from the other day. You realize that you ran thirty feet in one second, right?" He said.

"I...I had no idea." Marco said.

"Of course you didn't. Your mind was activating the power as well, making the world sem as if it was going at a normal pace. Of course, this is all based on theory, so we can't be sure, but I'm guessing that I'm right. I always am."

"Smart-ass." Chelsea said.

"The point is...you have shown some great potential, and we could really use someone new in our force. It's not exactly the strongest thing."

"Hey, screw you, I carry this whole thing."

"Wait...what do you mean by _force_?" Marco asked.

"For now...think of us as a...an earthen mercenary group, who fights inter-dimensional terrorists and evil."

"So what do you say, Marky? Wanna join?" Chelsea said, leaning close to Marco expectantly. Marco stood there. This all went a little too fast for his taste. He was still confused on what the heck these people were talking about. He stood there for a few moments, unsure what to do.

"...Uh, I'm just going to take that as a yes." Chelsea said. "Welcome to the team!" Mason rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving him alone with Chelsea. She grabbed his arm and pulled him along, not really giving Marco any closure.

"Uh...still confused here."

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star stood in shock as she saw her oldest friend stand in front of her. The white-haired boy waved at her awkwardly with one hand up and waving at her. He looked uncomfortable as she did shocked.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. She realized that she sounded a bit rude when she said that, but she didn't care. She wanted to know what he was doing here.

"Uh, h-hey, Star. My mom made me stop by for, um, some ceremonial stuff. How have, uh, you been?"

"...Are you...my suitor?" Star asked, confused.

"...Yeah. J-just to let you know, I had nothing to do with this. I didn't choose this." Star looked at him with a surprised and a felt large rising disappointment appear. This boy was supposed to marry her? Why was the universe so cruel? She didn't love this person, she barely knew him anymore. Star's mom spoke up next to her, but Star was oblivious to it.

"Ah, Kalahari. Your mother told me you would be arriving. How was your trip?"

"Oh, fine, your majesty. I was, uh, wondering how long I would be staying here."

"Oh, trust me, it won't be any longer than you are comfortable with."

"Thank you, your highness."

"Uh, mom?" Star said. "Could I speak with you for a moment?" Star grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her into the throne room, away from Kalahari.

 _"He's_ my husband?" Star asked incredulously. Her mother seemed surprised at her reaction.

"Why, yes, dear. Would you rather marry a stranger?" Her mom asked.

"Mom, this boy was my friend. To marry him would just...it would be weird." She that wasn't really what she was thinking. What was on her mind was that she stopped being his friend a long time ago. He has insulted her in the worst way possible, and she never forgave him. And she wasn't about to do it now. What he did was unforgivable.

"Star, he is the prince of Draconia. You either have to marry him, or one of the councilmen's sons." Star thought about it. The councilmen of Draconia were too snobby, and smelt like old cannolis drenched in perfumes. And that doesn't even begin to describe their children. They were involved with everything form human trafficking to drug trade. "I know you didn't thrilled about the whole arranged marriage thing, but you HAVE to think about what's best for the kingdom. I'm sorry."

That's mom left and walked to talk with Kalahari, leaving Star alone with her thoughts, which was never a good thing, because she often found the confines of her mind to be her enemy ever since...the incident. She didn't want to marry Kalahari. She wasn't ready for that kind of connection, and she didn't love him. She needed someone to talk to, someone to help her get through this, but she just didn't see who could. Her best friend was back in Saint O's, and trying to talk about it with Marco was out of the question. She didn't know what to do about this, how to cope with it. She needed to talk with someone, anyone who could get her through this. But who? She doubted anyone has been through the level of grief that she has.

There was one person who get her through this, but she wasn't sure about the effects seeing them would have. But she had to...for her.


	7. Anguish

(Marco's POV)

Marco was, once again, thrown to the floor. He rolled and stopped about 15 feet away from the large metal object in front of him.

"Again." Mason's voice said through the inter-com. Marco sat up and groaned from the discomfort his body was in. It had been a week since he joined Arch Angel (and he used the term "joined" very lightly), but it was still confusing. He still wasn't sure how he joined Arch Angel. to mention all the strange training exercises that he had to go through to build up his skill, the cause of his aching. And the seemingly endless taunts from Chelsea, and the seemingly endless criticism from Mason.

Marco looked at the "training tool," as Mason called it. A large, metal gorilla. This exercise was designed to help him master his speed, and use it to take down larger and normally stronger enemies, but he hadn't been able to put a scratch on it. The only part he had managed to succeed in doing is slowing down his perception of time, but he hadn't been able to move that fast. All he could do was buy himself a few extra seconds so that he couldn't get squashed, but it seemed time was only still as he was. Once he moved, time went back to normal. He activated this skill by concentrating, and soon it seemed as if the air had turned to molasses. The gorilla slowed, but still moved fast enough that Marco could see it move. He began looking for a weak spot, a flaw in the design, anything to give him the upper hand.

There. On the gorillas chest. A large square that seemed lighter than the metal around it. Maybe that was the weak spot. It seemed to be a long shot, but that guess was as good as any. But that also meant that he had to get close enough to land a solid punch, and that would put him right in between the gorillas arms, and he couldn't move fast enough to hit _and_ move out of the way. I would end up squashed. He was halfway towards me now, and I moved out of the way as he barreled past me and smashed against the wall, leaving a web of cracks. Marco thought more and more, everyday, that these people were very much trying to kill him.

"You're doing great, Marky. Keep it up!" Chelsea's voice rang throughout the training area, while Marco dodged yet another attack. He stood from the ground, getting ready to attack, when the buzzer rang, signaling the end of training. He sighed, relieved. He made his way out to the Ring, as he called the base they were in. He stopped at least three feet from Mason.

"There was some improvement on your performance, but you still have a while before you can fully use your ability. Come back here tomorrow for practice." He walked off, leaving Marco alone in the room with Chelsea. She stepped next to him, smiling.

"So we got the whole day to ourselves. You want to go do something?" She asked. Marco was a little afraid to be with her with no one else around. She acted a little similar to someone he knew, and he wasn't exactly comfortable with it.

"Actually, I have some school work to catch up on, so-"

"Good, so your're not busy. Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and puled him through the base. Marco wasn't sure where she was taking him, but then again, he was never sure with her.

Soon, he found himself in the food court at the mall, eating Chinese food across from her. He looked around, watching out for anyone at school, so that no one got the wrong idea about them hanging out. Chelsea saw him looking around, but was obviously confused on why. He thought he saw a glimpse of Jackie, but a few seconds later decided it wasn't her.

"What's up, Diaz?" Chelsea asked him. Marco looked at her, surprised at the sudden question.

"I'm just looking out for somebody." He said, and resumed looking.

"Oh, hot date?" She said.

"No! I'm just making sure no one sees us together." He said, not facing her.

"...wow...thanks." She said in a sarcastic tone. Marco sighed.

"Not like that. I'm just worried that some one might see us and get the wrong idea." He said, facing her.

"People around here are really like that?" She asked.

"More than you think." He said.

"You know, even if those rumors started, we could just have a big fake break-up and stop them." She said.

"I would prefer if they never started in the first place."

"Well, is it because you don't like me?" She said, a hurt tone in her voice.

"No, it's just that you're my friend, and people saying things like that might make things a little weird." He said. Chelsea chuckled.

"I am the queen of weird, Diaz. I can handle a little high-school embarrassment. Or are you just worried about yourself?" She asked.

"No, I'm worried about what other people will think of us."

"You're not making any sense, Diaz. And if you're so worried about people thinking we're going out, if we go out for real, no one will think anything."

"You don't have to do that." Marco said, a little touched she would do that to save him some embarrassment. She stared at him like he was crazy. "...What?"

"You're clueless, Diaz." She said, rolling her eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, confusion filling him.

"Exactly. You really are blind. I bet that if a girl was _throwing_ herself on you, you wouldn't recognize it." Marco was a little offended, but mostly sad.

"I doubt a girl would want to throw themselves on me." He said. He remembered Jackie's reaction over three weeks ago about the dance. After that, he was sure that he was hopeless in romance.

"Okay, Diaz. A little challenge. I spend the day with you, and you treat me with all the little things you would if you were on a date. After that, I'll decide if your ' _throwing_ ' material."

"...Won't that be a little...weird? I mean, we are working together."

"Come on. It'll be fun. And we aren't saving the world just yet. Just one day. You aren't going to be dating yourself, so why don't you let an _actual_ girl evaluate you." Marco thought about it for a second. It would be a little uncomfortable, since he had never been on an actual date. But then again, if these people were as dangerous as he thought, this might be the last time he would ever be on a date. He sighed.

"All right. Chelsea, would you like to go on a date?" He asked, a little embarrassed. She smiled, and he didn't see the normal mischief that was normally in it.

"I'd love to." She said. Marco smiled, but on the inside, he panicked. He had no idea where to take her. There was a couple restaurants, but...He didn't know what to do.

"So...where to?" Chelsea asked. He was about to answer when there was a chorus of screams and crashing. Marco whipped his around to the source, then to Chelsea to make sure she heard it too. She had, for she was covered completely in a green metal. He stood up, looking for the source of the comotion. Chelsea walked up next to him.

"This doesn't change anything. I still expect that date." She said, and flew off, seemingly floating fast and steady to the source. Marco sighed.

"Why did I agree to this?" He said to himself.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat in the carriage next to Kalahari, not sure what to say. She stared out the window, at the ground, at the ceiling, anywhere but him. She found herself wishing to be anywhere but there, to be way form all the awkward silence, all the regret that seemed to rise when he was around. If she could just find a window of opportunity, she could slip away and go to Earth. To see Marco. But she couldn't, not right now. And not in these clothes. So she just had to wait, until she could. It was going to be perfect, until he spoke.

"I know what you're thinking." Kalahari said. Star looked over at him, surprised and confused.

"Uh, what?" She asked. Kalahari looked over at her.

"In the royal bloodline of Draconia, the males have telepathic abilities. I can read minds. I know you're thinking about running off to see someone." He said. Star froze, unsure how to react. She was furious, sad, and scared at the sudden knowledge of his ability. He knew her every thought, move, reaction. She knew what she was going to say, what she had thought about him. And she was sad that he knew she was knew she was going to run off. She couldn't go see Marco. She could feel the depression rising in her, after she had pushed it down so deep. Now, she couldn't go see Marco, not when he was around. She suddenly thought, _could he be reading my thoughts right now?_ She closed off her mind, suppressing her thoughts, so that he couldn't hear them.

He laughed.

"If you don't go now, you might not see him." He said. Now Star was above all confused. What the heck was he saying. "I'm _saying_ that I want you to go see him. You're not interested in me at all, and I doubt that you ever be happy if you don't see him. You better go now, before it's too late." Star gaped at him. She would have to thank him later, but now...

She dashed out of the carriage, running in the direction of the forest. She quickly changed with her wand into regular clothes, so that she could run faster, and pulled out her dimensional scissors she had hidden from her mother. She opened a portal, and was about to step through when a thought occurred to her. What if... he didn't _want_ to see her? What if he hated her now? What if he laughed at her? What if...he didn't love her?

She shook those thoughts out of her head. No turning back. It was too easy to sneak away, even though she didn't technically "sneak." It would be harder for her to sneak back. So she wanted to make the most of what she could. She stepped through the portal.

* * *

When she landed in front of the mall, she expected it to be crowded with people, nice and happy. Not burning and surrounded with loud people screaming and giving directions. She looked around, confused. She stepped forward, for some strange reason. A man dressed in blue nest to a metal a car with flashing lights, a police officer, she thought, stopped her.

"Hold on girl. It's not safe there. Stay there." He said forcefully. Star looked at the burning building, suddenly feeling a little sad. This was somebody's job, they would be out of work. But a feeling ran deeper than that. A certain looming doom hovered over her, but she couldn't say why. Another police officer ran up next to them.

"Sir, it's been confirmed that there are three people still inside."

"Have you gotten visual?" He asked, looking at the flames.

"Yes sir, and we've been able to identify one of the people still inside. A boy named Marco Diaz. Fourteen..." The voice droned out of her hearing. All she could see was the building. Burning. With Marco inside. She tried to run forward, but the arm of the officer stopped her.

"Hold on girl. We're handling it." He said. But Star didn't hear it. She was focused on the mall.

"He's still in there!" She yelled, hysterical. She could feel the tears rolling down her eyes, and she couldn't get her wand out because the police officers were holding her back. She tried to get to him, save him, hold him, tell him...

Suddenly a bright light blinded her, and she was thrown back, with an unbelievable amount of force. She was stunned, to were she couldn't get up, no matter her effort. She opened her eyes to a disoriented world, completely warped and brightened. A ringing in her ears that seemed to never end. She found a will in her, and slowly she pushed herself up. _Marco,_ she thought, as if he could hear her _, I'm coming._ Star stood unsteadily on her two feet. She faced the mall. It took a while for her vision to focus, and her hearing to clear. But when it did, she wished it would go away.

Where the mall once stood, was nothing but a crater. The mall was completely gone. Around it were dead and injured bodies, some on fire and some charred. Warped metal littered the ground. She couldn't comprehend what anyone was saying. She fell on her knees, staring with a complete despair that she couldn't rid off. She felt it rise in her, spread around her entire body. She couldn't stand to keep it bottled up. So she rid of it, screaming, giving an embodiment to the pain that surrounded her. Two miles away, the cry of anguish could be heard, like a banshee.


	8. Lightning

(Marco's POV)

 _ **3 minutes before explosion**_

Marco was thrown through the glass, a pain ripping through him. He rolled, coming to a violent stop when he smashed against the hard wood of a desk of some kind. He lay still, his body somehow not wanting to obey his mind. He found himself frozen on the ground, the pain clouding his mind. After a second he was able to think straight again, and managed to sit up. He sat there for a second, catching his breath. Then he attempted to stand up.

A flash of brilliant pain ran up and down his leg, and he fell back down on the ground. He groaned at the unexpected pain, and sat still, waiting for it to pass. He kept still, letting his breathing slow down. He lay still, waiting for the pain to pass.

After a minute, he sat back up. He looked at his leg, and saw a large shard of glass impaled in his leg. He felt queasy, his head light. He thought he might take it out, but when he touched it, he felt another flash of pain. He groaned loudly but didn't fall this time, just sat there as he waited for the pain to wash over and away from him.

Just then, there was loud shattering noise, followed by an intense heat. Marco felt himself thrown back, and a shower of glass and pain washed over him. His back hit the wall, and he fell on hard tile. He lay there, the pain nearly driving him unconscious. It was all he could do to stay awake, the pain seeming to beat him into submission with endless waves after waves. Just as he thought it was over, another wave came. There was a ringing in his head that blocked all outside sound, or maybe he was in too much pain to understand anything.

"Marco? You here?" A voice whispered. Chelsea. He could barely hear her, but it was at least a sign he was still alive. He tried to speak, but could only manage a weak groan. He thought she heard him, but apparently it wasn't enough. "Where is that boy?"

Marco heard the receding footsteps, and for a second was panicked. He pushed himself up with on, and amazingly found that the pain was receding. He pushed himself into a standing position, but stopped for a second, because the effort, plus the still large amount of pain he was in, had made getting up a breath-taking achievement. Literally.

He moved to the door, in a kind of a hop, since his leg was impaled.

"MARCO! WHERE ARE YOU?" A voice yelled, echoing in on itself. Tom. He was close. Or just loud. Either way, Marco couldn't let himself be found. He hopped to the back, where there was a freezer. Marco opened it, not thinking twice about jumping into the freezing air, and walked in, closing it behind him. He found himself with a fear. Of what Tom would do to him. Of what he would do to Chelsea. Of what he would do to all the people out there.

And he was hiding in here.

Maybe that was wrong of him. He should be out there, helping. But what could he do? Nothing, not with this glass shard in his leg. He felt anger at himself for being so afraid, at Tom for trying to hurt people. Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed the glass shard, and pulled it out with one hard tug.

He yelled out at the sudden pain, and was filled with regret and confusion for why he did that. But, surprisingly, after a few seconds, the pain receded to a dull throbbing in his leg. He hesitated, but took a look at the wound where the glass was, and instead of a large bloody gash, there was just red skin, as if he had been rubbing there to hard. He looked at it with a rising confusion inside of him, not sure of what to make of this.

"I'm not here for you, red. OUT OF MY WAY?" Marco heard Tom's yelling, and based on the volume, it was definitely close. Red must have been Chelsea. Marco came out of the freezer and looked around, to see Chelsea standing in front of Tom, unmoving. Marco felt some fear for her, but was sure she had a few tricks up her sleeve.

Chelsea moved her right hand to the left side of her waist, and closed her fist around thin air. Marco was confused for a second, but she moved her hand slightly outward, and a long handle appeared, made of a red metal. She moved her hand in a sudden and quick pull of the handle, and suddenly a sword appeared, the long and thin silver slicing through the air. She gave Tom a smirk, and Marco suddenly felt all of his worry disappear. Tom made a ball with his hands, and a sphere of fire appeared. He threw it at her, moving with alarming speed. Chelsea simply swung upwards with equal speed, and two explosions of fire hit behind her.

 _Did she just...cut fire?_ Marco thought incredulously. Tom had a similar reaction, unbelief crossing his features. Then, his face gave way to his mask of anger, and he put his hands up. There was a sudden large glow, and what seemed to be a million fireballs appeared behind him. He gave Chelsea a smirk, and Chelsea's face took on a look of annoyance. Tom thrust his hands forward, and the barrage of fireballs began. Chelsea was wildly swinging and jumping, not a single fireball seeming to touch her, and countless explosions took place behind her. Marco couldn't keep up with her movements, and soon it was like she was a blur. Marco looked to where Tom was, only to see he wasn't there anymore. Marco looked around, trying to spot him. Suddenly, there was a sudden force on his back, and he was thrown forward.

"Marco!" Chelsea yelled. Marco rolled onto his back, coughing. He stood up, and saw that Chelsea was fighting Tom, swinging her sword wildly at him. Tom made a fist and hit the ground, and a wave of fire appeared, knocking Chelsea back. Marco felt fear for her when he saw she was thrown back and slid back away from him. Her sword was thrown to the side with a loud clang. Tom walked over to it, picking it up with one hand.

Marco backed up as Tom starting walking towards him, an evil grin taking over his face. Suddenly, Tom was gone. Marco looked around, confused. Then, once again, he was thrown through the air. He landed and rolled, bruising in multiple places. He rolled himself onto his back, and tried to get up, but something pushed him back down. He looked up and saw that Tom had a foot on his chest. Marco struggled to get him off, but with his injuries and Tom's strength, he just couldn't manage it. Tom leaned forward, putting more pressure on Marco's chest.

"You know, I almost feel bad for you, Marco." Tom said, while Marco grabbed his foot to try and move it, nut found it impossible. "But then, I remember why I'm here. Someone very powerful wants you dead, Diaz. Though, I wonder why they would bother with you. Oh, well, as long as I get what I was promised, I'll be just fine. Hope you know, this isn't personal. Not completely."

Tom raised the sword high above his head, the silver glinting in the air. Marco felt a horror rise in him. It wasn't an irrational fear, but an untamed terror inside him, as he realized he was about to die. He felt this feeling rise up into every corner of his being. He felt he couldn't breath, but not just because of the pressure on his chest. He looked at Tom, and saw in his eyes a complete bloodlust. Then the sword came down. Marco closed his eyes, feeling a sudden rush of air. There was a sickening sound of ripping flesh, but Marco instantly noticed the lack of pain. He was filled with confusion, but when he opened his eyes, he was Chelsea, standing over him. The sword was through her stomach.

She smiled at him, her eyes tearing up, a small amount of blood coming form her mouth. She fell to the side with a sickening thud. Marco looked at his friend in a state of complete grief and horror, his eyes filling with tears. She wasn't moving. Her blood pulled underneath her body, the red giving him a conformation of the state she was in. She was dying,

"Whoops." Tom said. "I told her to stay out of my."

Whoops? Whoops? He just killed a person, and all he could say was _w_ _hoops_? Marco looked at Tom, eyes still filled with stinging tears, but instead of grief, he felt an undefinable rage inside of him. He never understood what people meant when the said they "saw red," but know he knew. It was like his anger had taken control of his entire being, he no longer had a free will besides what his anger had told him to do.

"That's it." Marco said, gritting his teeth. "Now I'm pissed." It was as if he was filled with an entirely new strength, a new power within himself. While Tom was distracted, Marco grabbed Tom's leg and pulled with all his might. The leg came clean off. He stood up quickly, not giving Tom a chance to recover, and started to punch him. All of his anger was thrown into those punches, he placed everywhere, sometimes knocking limbs clean off. All of his anger and grief was built in, and Marco had let it out on Tom in a cascade, not showing any mercy. When he felt his energy start to deteriorate, he used one final punch and knocked Tom back, sending him flying through the air.

Marco stopped, letting himself take a breath, and looked at Tom, only to see that...he was floating. It was like he was suspended in mid-air, frozen. Marco stood there in confusion, not sure of what to do. After a few seconds, Tom was suddenly flung back and through the glass, at an extremely high speed. The glass shattered, like it had done when Marco was thrown through. He stood there in astonishment foe what had happened, but shook it off and rushed to Chelsea's side.

He knelt by her, looking at her. Her eyes were closed, and it looked like she wasn't breathing. Marco felt his anger disappear, and now felt grief. He moved to touch her, but kept his hands away, afraid of what might happen if he moved her in the wrong way. Finally, he just put two fingers on her neck. It was faint, but there it was. A thumping. Her heartbeat.

He released breath he didn't realize he was holding, and closed his eyes. She was alive...barely. Who knew how long it was before she...?

It wouldn't come to that. He told himself that over and over in his mind she would be okay. And she would. He would make sure of it. As long as he was around, she would not die.

"Don't you die on me." He told her, and, despite his concerns on her condition, picked her up. The best chance she would have was at a hospital.

"Oh, so touching. Too bad you won't be around her for long." Tom said. Marco looked over at Tom, feeling a fear rise up in him. He thought he took care of him. Marco moved so his body was shielding Chelsea from him. Tom seemed to notice this and gave Marco a menacing smile.

"Since I am going to kill you, do you have anything else to say. Some last words to your lover there." Tom said. Marco's face grew hot, but out of anger.

"Don't you talk about her." He said. He had nearly killed her. He had her horribly. He had no right to talk about her like that. Tom smiled at Marco's anger, happy to see him in pain.

"You seem a little angry, Marco. You should really learn to control yourself."

"Why are you doing this? It can't just be about wanting to get some revenge." Marco asked.

"Well, Marco, that would be telling. But I suppose I should give you the reason I had to kill that little bitch." Tom said, laughing. Marco felt himself lose control.

"Shut...the fuck...up." His vision went red, and he charged, placing punches as much as he could, flinging his arms and legs wildly. Tom sent fireballs at him, but they seemed to pass through him like air, not affecting him at all. He kept punching and punching, his anger never seeming to stop. He wanted to hurt Tom. He wanted to make sure Tom never hurt anyone ever again.

As he was punching, he failed to notice something. Many things. He saw that his hands started to go faster than he could track. They soon became blurred, moving at some speed that he couldn't even comprehend. He didn't care about that. All this anger inside of him, he just wanted to get it out.

He didn't notice he started to glow, red lightning surrounding him. Marco never felt this kind of power before. It was like a million lightning bolts running through his body. He kept punching, and with one final effort, he tore both his hands through Tom's body. A small string of lightning leaked into Tom's chest, igniting something inside Tom's body.

Marco pulled it out, and backed away. Tom seemed to expand, and his skin tore at different places, and a glowing could be seen at the tears. Marco seemed to realize what was going on, and ran to pick up Chelsea.

He used his arms to carry her bridal style. He turned and looked at Tom, but where Tom was there was now a large fireball. It seemed to grow, heating up everything in the mall. He wanted to stop and wonder about why everything seemed to be moving in slow-motion, but the only thing he worried about was getting Chelsea to safety.

He ran, only slightly worried about moving Chelsea around too much. He ran through the mall, trying to find the closest emergency exit. He turned around for only a second, but saw a wall of flames coming towards him in what looked like a wave. But was scared him was it seemed to be moving increasingly faster. Marco felt fear rise in him and he looked side to side quickly.

There, next to that coffee shop. The emergency exit. He ran towards it and pushed it with his back, pulling Chelsea out with him. Marco ran away as fast as he could from the mall, and when he thought he was safe...he stopped. He placed Chelsea carefully on the ground, and stopped to catch his breath.

Then he felt something hit hard, but all over his body. He was thrown forward, and all went black.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat in the ambulance, covered in the dull blanket. She stared at the ground, refusing to talk to anyone. She stared at the ground, trying to remember his smile, his laugh. But it was all morphed in with the grief the thought of him brought to her. She would cry, but she couldn't make any more tears. She just stared at the ground, an empty look on her face.

"Watch out, girl, we got a live one here." A man said. She looked up at the doctor, and saw he was pushing someone on a table of metal and plastic. She stood up and was about to walk away, to try and forget, but as the doctor passed, she saw a flash of a familiar face. She froze for a second. It couldn't be him. Right?

She turned around and saw him. She stared at his unconscious face for a few seconds before the door closed. She didn't want to believe it, but he was there. He was alive. Marco was alive. He was alive! She was stuck unsure what to do. Then she let out a single relieved and awkward laugh. Then she laughed, a little more happily. She was crying again, but it wasn't sad. It was happy. She threw the blanket onto the ground and ran to the hospital, using dimensional scissors to get there quickly. She ran up to the front desk.

"I'm looking for Marco Diaz." Star said in a breathless rush. The lady pointed down the hall.

"First door on the right." She said. Star rushed to the room, ignoring the other patients and doctors around. She looked into the room, and she saw him. But he wasn't asleep, as she had gotten used to. He was sitting up, reading. He was reading a book...and smiling. His smile. She never thought she would see it again. It made her so happy. She walked to the door, but stopped for a second, one second of doubt. Then she swallowed it and pushed the door open. Marco looked over, and the smile was replaced with a face of surprise.

"Star? When did you get here?" He said. When he spoke...when she heard his voice...she lost it. Her fake smile was replaced by a face of sadness, and she launched herself at him, gripping him in a bear hug. He hugged her back, and she relished his touch. "Star? What's wrong?"

"I thought...you were...you might..." She couldn't get the words out, so she just hugged him tighter.

"Star, it's all right. I'm right here." He said. She could basically feel his smile.

"Hello, Marco. I wish I could say I'm happy to see you here." The doctor said. Star looked and saw the same doctor that had took care of him the first time he was here.

"Yeah, I have a weird habit of ending back up in a hospital room. Hey, doc...that girl, Chelsea...is she...?" Marco trailed off, and Star found herself confused.

"She's stable. She's going to spend some time in rehab, but if you hadn't got her out of there, she wouldn't have had made it at all." Star looked at Marco. He saved a person? Of course he did, he was always watching out for other people. That's what made Marco, Marco. "Before we let you go, we need to run one more test, and ask you a few more questions."

"All right." Marco said.

"Uh, Star, was it? I need you to step outside for a minute, until we can get everything sorted out." He asked her, pulling out a pen and starting to take notes on a clipboard.

"...Oh, uh, are you sure that I can't stay here while you do all that stuff?" Star asked hopefully, but not expecting much.

"I'm sorry, but you have to go out." He said. Star sighed, and stood up. She turned and was about to go out, but she wanted to do something, anything, before she left. She turned back to him, leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. She blushed and hurried out of the room, not noticing Marco's completely shocked expression.

She sat down on one of the seats outside the window, waiting patiently, a silly grin on her face. She hummed along to a song that wasn't playing, for the first time in a _long_ time truly happy. She tapped her foot as she waited for the doctor and Marco to finish up.

"Star?" Someone asked. Star looked up and saw Janna with something behind her back.

"Hey, Janna. What are you doing here?" Star asked.

"I just came by to give something to Marco. It can't be easy for him, with the coma, and the thing with his memory, and now this, I-" Star noticed that one thing.

"Wait...memory loss?" She asked, confused, worry growing in her.

"...Uh, yeah. When he woke up, he couldn't remember a thing. At least, that's what I heard, but I can't really be sure." She said. There was a moment of silence as Star processed the information that Janna had just gave her. Janna stood there for a second before finally speaking again. "Uh, anyways, I was wondering if I could just give something to Marco." Star was silent for a moment.

"...Oh, uh, you could just give it to me and I'll give it to him." Star told her.

"Oh, Uh, no, no, that's fine. I'll just, uh, find him later." Janna said, speaking quickly and with a red face. She walked off fast, holding the object in front of her so Star couldn't see it. Star looked back at the room, where Marco was looking very uncomfortable.

Star looked forward with a blank expression on her face. He didn't remember...all the things she wanted from him, all she wanted was for him to remember her. But, he said her name. That meant he remembered something, right?

But the look on his face after she kissed him...he forgot enough to forget what they felt. She felt the grief she did when she left him in the first place. Why was she always getting her heart broken? Maybe she just had the wrong taste in men. Or maybe she wasn't meant to be happy.

But what would she do? Now Marco knew how she felt, but did he feel that way, too. What he said in the Time Dimension, he had to. But he didn't remember that now. So he doesn't know how he feels about her...yet. Star realized that if she waited, she could make him feel his old feelings again, or help him remember. Then they could finally be together, after all this time.

But what about Kalahari? What about Mewni, and the treaty? If she didn't go back, her would go to war, one they possibly couldn't win. She had to go back, to help her people. But it would mean marrying someone she had no feelings for. It would mean being dragged away from Marco for the rest of her life, and not being able to be with her true love. Why did all this have to be so complicated? Why did she have to fall I'm love with Marco? Why couldn't she have just kept things as friends between them? She leaned her head back and sighed. So this was her life now. Chasing after someone she couldn't possibly have, but wanted more than life itself. When did things get so hard. No one ever warned her of all this heartbreak when she was a kid.

"Star?" Someone asked. She looked up to see Mr. and Mrs. Diaz. They were smiling. Weird, Star kind of expected them to be angry.

"Star, you're back!" Mrs. Diaz said happily. They pulled her into a hug.

"Hi." She said, trying to sound cheery. "I, um, just decided to come and visit, see how Marco was doing. And when I heard he was in the hospital, I came right over." Star felt guilty about lying to them, but she wasn't ready to talk about that with them, yet.

"Oh, Star, it is good to see you." Mr. Diaz said. "We have been quite lonely after you left, especially Marco."

"...Really. Did he say that?" Star asked, a glimmer of hope inside her.

"Well, not directly, but things have been lonelier around here without you. Everybody has missed you in one way or another." Mr. Diaz said. Star felt her hopes fall. So he didn't miss her. That was just her luck.

"I'm sorry if I made anyone sad, but a lot of things are happening in Mewni right now." She said. Then she remembered the treaty. Her mother would be furious with her. "I actually have to leave soon, so would you tell Marco that I hope we can hang out again."

"Star, if you're feeling bad about that thing that happened a few weeks ago, it wasn't your fault." She said. Star smiled, happy that Mrs. Diaz was trying to cheer her up, but wishing it were true.

"...Just, tell Marco I said goodbye." She asked them.

"Of course, Star." They said. She gave them a small smile, and opened a portal with her dimensional scissors. She turned and waved goodbye to them. As she stepped in it, she tried to reach out to Marco, using her thoughts:

 _Marco, I'm coming back. I won't ever leave you again._


	9. Discoveries

(Marco's POV)

Marco walked into the Complex, as he started to call it, and ran into Chelsea. It was only yesterday that a sword completely pierced her body, yet she was walking around like it never happened. Marco stared at her stomach, wondering what the heck Mason did to her. But as Marco stared, he noticed the rest of Chelsea. he never really noticed how attractive she really was.

"Checking me out, Diaz?" Chelsea asked with a raised eyebrow. Marco's face turned red as he blushed, and he stuttered.

"N-no!" He said, and realized he sounded like he was lying. Was he?

"Now, that tone doesn't sound convincing, Marky." She said, waving her finger as if scolding him. Marco got from embarrassed to annoyed in less than a second.

"I was just wondering what happened to your...wound." He said. Chelsea's smile faded. Marco thought he had struck a nerve, but his eye widened as Chelsea lifted up her shirt. Marco was about to move away, but he saw she was only showing her scar.

It was like someone had painted a scraggly brown line on her otherwise pale white skin. It looked warped and bulged in places. Marco had never seen wounds like this, not even with Star, but he did see it on T.V. news every now and then. he just never thought he would see it up close. As he continued to stare, he felt a feeling of guilt rise up in him. _I let this happen,_ he thought. Chelsea put her shirt back down, and Marco looked at the floor.

"It hurts like a bitch sometimes, but I'm okay." She said, in an awfully cheerful nature. "So, Mason tells me about this girl that visited you the other day." She said, sliding next to him. "Actually, he told me she was quite friendly."

"That was Star, she's... _was_ my best friend. We don't really talk much now. Actually, this is the first I've heard from her in a month. I certainly wasn't expecting her to do... _that_."

"So...she wasn't your girlfriend?" She asked.

"No...uh, why does everyone think we're dating?" He asked to no one. Chelsea held up her hands.

"Just wondering why your ex-bestie would give you a kiss on the cheek, that's all." She said. Marco eyed her.

"Why is this such a big deal to you?"

"Just being thorough. Checking out the competition. I already got to deal with this Jackie girl, so..." Marco's eyes widened as he stared at her.

"How do you..." He started, but Chelsea waved him off.

"I have my ways, Diaz." She said. He sighed. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Wait, why did you say 'competition'?" He asked. Chelsea shrugged.

"No reason. Ulterior motives to ulterior motives."

"Well," He said to himself, "better get home."

"Before you do that..." Mason said behind him. He turned and saw Mason walking up to him. "I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay, shoot." Marco said. Mason froze for a second, confused by the lingo Marco used, then shook it off and pulled out a laptop. "When you were fighting Tom, I noticed something strange. After further investigation, I discovered something extraordinary."

"Oh no." Marco said. "Oh, no, no, no, NO! Whenever you say that, I'm thrown into a cage with a giant metal _something_." He said angrily. Mason rolled his eyes and opened his laptop, showing Marco some footage from the mall.

Marco saw himself on the ground, kneeling next to Chelsea, stabbed. He saw Tom, standing there, his mouth moving as if he was talking. And before anything else happened, the camera went out. Marco blinked in surprise, but he understood the whole time stop thing

"What...what happened?" Marco asked.

"Well, I slowed down the video, to the speed your power allows, but I noticed something strange going on with your body." He said.

"Uh-oh. That's never a good thing." He said, now starting to be worried.

"No, it's not. See, I believe that this magic has affected you in different ways than just the time sphere in you. There was some lightning that had surrounded your body was some electricity that your body had produced. I think that this magic is stronger than I thought. I need to run some more tests, but I think my theory is working on itself." Mason said.

Marco was about to say something, but then there was a boom. Marco flinched and looked around.

"Was that from the outside?" Mason asked.

"It sounded like thunder." Marco said. Marco walked outside, and looked around. There was nothing there. Marco got a quizzical look on his face, and looked up. The sky was clear. So what the heck made that sound. Marco heard a cough and looked down. He saw Chelsea, struggling to move on the ground. Marco rushed to her side.

"Chelsea, are you all right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What was that?" She asked. Marco looked around. Then suddenly, he was tossed, flying through the air. He landed on his back, the momentum causing him to roll. He immediately got up and looked around, expecting to see Tom, or Ludo, or even Toffee.

But there was no one there. Marco looked around for anyone, but they were completely alone. Marco saw Mason running out of the Complex and towards them.

"Marco, what Happened?!" He yelled.

"I don't know!" Mason answered.

Out of nowhere, Mason suddenly flew up about fifteen feet in the air. He stayed up there for a second, almost suspended...then he fell. Before he could hit the ground, Marco saw Chelsea jumped up and fly towards him, catching him before he could hit the ground. Marco breathed a sigh of relief as Chelsea landed next to him, placing Mason down on the ground next to him.

"Mason, you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah...Marco, you better get back home." He said.

"What? But, what about you guys? And what just happened?" He asked.

"I can't explain, but you have to leave, _now._ " He said. Marco looked at him, confused. He thought about staying, but he got up and walked away, confused on why Mason was acting so weird.

* * *

Marco walked into his home, on what had happened earlier today.

 _Okay, Marco, you can do this. Just...act like you had a tough day at that grocery store you've been pretending to work at. Yeah, that won't bite me in the ass any time soon._

"Marco, are you home?" He heard his dad's voice from the kitchen.

"Yeah, dad. My day's been...kind of rough, not gonna lie." He said, saying enough, but not too much.

"Come into the kitchen." His mother said. he did, and was surprised to see someone there.

"Star?" he asked. She smiled at him.

"Hey, Marco!" She said, in her usual cheery manner. Marco smiled, but at the same time was confused.

"When did you get here?" He asked, smiling. Something about having her back over here made him happy.

"She came over just a few minutes ago." Mrs. Diaz said. "She had to put hold on a _lot_ of official royal business to manage this little visit."

"You would not believe the amount of paperwork there was." Her face took on a horrified expression. " _Boring_ paperwork." Marco laughed. But there was something, about Star that was different. Maybe he just never noticed it before.

"Well, it's good to see you again Star. I actually have a few questions, so, could I talk to you for just a sec...in private?" Marco asked. Star seemed surprised, but got up nonetheless. His parents exchanged a glance, but it wasn't for the actual reason Marco had asked a moment alone with Star.

 _Seriously,_ He thought, _them, too?_

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star followed Marco not the living room. On the inside she was afraid of what would happen next, but on the outside she tried to remain cheery. She wondered if he was going to ask her about the kiss in the hospital, or just wanted to talk about her leaving. Marco turned all of a sudden, and Star stopped in surprise.

"Star, do you... before I went into my coma, did anything strange happen? Anything at all?" He asked. Star was confused, but she was also afraid. She would have to explain what happened that day, and of Marco didn't remember, he wouldn't understand. It might break him completely.

"Uh, not that I can remember. You just got hit in the head pretty bad." She lied. Lied right through her teeth. She knew it was to protect Marco, but she still felt guilty. Marco sighed.

"Oh, all right." He said. "So, enough of that. How have you been?" He asked. Star blinked, confused.

"Uh, I've been good. You know, it's actually been quite boring over there." She said. Marco got a quizzical look on his face.

"Really? Must have been hard on you, huh?" He asked.

"No, but it's still...hard to focus on something. It's, like, bore central over there. My mother's always giving me lectures about how ' _A princess never blah-blah-blah._ ' I just want to have fun like we used to."

"Well, we can tomorrow, but I got a bunch of homework, and something from work." He said. Star felt hope rise in her, but didn't let it show. Maybe she had another chance.

"Well, as soon as you're free, I'll be ready."

"It all depends. he shrugged. Star was confused.

"...On what?" She asked. Marco opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, there was a crash from outside. Marco and Star looked in the direction. The backyard. This was the usual drill. Ludo and his monsters. Star clenched her fist. How dare he show his beaked face anywhere near here? Marco smiled at her.

"How about one last fight, for old times sake?" He asked. Star couldn't help but smile. She didn't have her true love...but she had her bestie back.

"Let's do it!" Star shouted. She and Marco jumped into the backyard. No surprise, Ludo and his monsters were already there.

"She _is_ here!" Ludo laughed. "Now-"

He never finished. Suddenly, he was gone. Star looked at the place where Ludo was standing, confused. Was this another one of his tricks? Just then, there was a flash of blue lightning. A rush of wind. Suddenly all the monsters were gone, and all that was left was Star and Marco. Star looked at him, and he looked at her. He shrugged, and stayed in his karate stance. Star looked around, not sure what had just happened.

Then there was a sudden clash of lightning, and Star was surrounded by blue lightning. She swirled left and right, but the wind deafened her, and the lightning was all she could see. In the middle of it, there was a black figure. He seemed to appear and reappear, Star only seeing him in one place for a second. His body seems to be smashed against the air, like a wet painting but in the face of all the darkness, there were two glowing red orbs. They were almost like Tom's eyes, but somehow...they were more frightening. Star looked around for Marco. He was frozen, unmoving, suspended in mid air. Like a freeze spell, but...different.

Then the figure stopped. The lightning no longer circled her, but traced this figure, showing up randomly against the black darker than the night. He seemed to grow back into existence, the red disappearing. His face wasn't human, but seemed as a earthen wolf whose snout was shortened.

"...Star Butterfly." He said. His voice echoed over itself, and the face didn't move, only flexed as he spoke. Star was terrified. "Do you know who I am?"

Star could not manage any words, the fear clogging her throat. Instead she simply shook her head, but shortly and quickly, as to not anger this...whatever it was.

"You will find out Marco's secret. You will tell me. Or I will kill him in front of your eyes...along with the rest of your family. And then I will tear your kingdom down, killing all of your friends, citizens, and everyone else."

Star was completely frozen, not being able to move. The figure brought his hand up, and Star saw it vibrate into near nothingness. Then he touched her shoulder.

Star felt as if her shoulder was ripped into two. The fiery pain and electricity coursed through her. She couldn't breath. She fell to her knees on the ground. Her mind knew nothing but the pain it endured. She would do something, _anything_ , for it to stop. Then it did. Star fell and caught herself on her hands, breathing in giant heaps of air. She looked up at the figure, fearing for her life, tears starting to form on he cheeks. He leaned down, smashing against existence, and spoke in that horrifying voice.

"You have twenty-nine days." He said. Then he was gone, in a flash and a blur. Star gasped in relief, then collapsed on the ground, crying. She looked over at Marco, who was unconscious on the ground. Maybe it was for the best. He didn't have to witness that horror.


	10. Ichelx

(Marco's POV)

Marco sat up quickly and looked around. The first thing he saw was Star on the ground, crying.

"Star, are you all right?" Marco went over to her. Looking at her, he saw that the clothes on her shoulder was ripped, and blood stained her skin. Marco moved her a little, which Star responded with a yelp of pain.

"Don't do that!" She yelled. Marco stopped and backed his hand away, looking for any way to help her. "Get my wand." She said.

Marco looked around and saw the wand on the ground. He picked it up and gave it to her. She pointed the wand at her shoulder and a bright pink ray of light flashed. She let her hand fall to the ground, and was breathing heavily. Marco looked around for any sign of...whatever that was. All he could remember about it was that was there was blue lightning, everywhere, for just a single moment. Like a flash.

"Marco, are you okay?" Star asked. Marco looked at her unbelievably. He was not the one that was bleeding momentarily.

"I'm fine, Star, you should be worried about yourself. You were bleeding just a second ago." He said. Star sat up and faced him.

"Oh, it's nothing that a healing spell couldn't fix." She said. Marco looked at her shoulder, and saw that it was in fact no longer bleeding. He sighed.

"...Star," he said after a moment, "do you know what just happened?" He asked her. Star was silent for a moment, and Marco was suddenly worried more than he was a second ago.

"No, no idea. I'm just glad you're okay." She said, smiling at him. But when he stared into her eyes, he was something behind them. Fear? Sadness? There was something she was hiding.

"Star, is something wrong?" He asked. Star shook her head.

"No, everything's fine." She said, proceeding then to stand up. "Let's get inside. I have to...wrap my head around some things." She said, walking towards the house. Marco was about to put everything off, since Star's weirdness was a normal thing. But there was something in the way she acted now, that Marco knew something was up. But what? Star wouldn't hide anything from him, would she? No, of course not. That was just him being paranoid. Right?

As he was lost in thought, he didn't notice Star turn around and look at him.

"Are you coming, Marco?" She asked. Marco looked up in sudden surprise, and quickly recovered.

"Yeah, I'm coming." He said. He stood up and followed her inside.

" _Space unicorn...flying through the stars._ " His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Chelsea was calling him. He answered it and put it up to his ear.

"Yeah?" He asked.

" _Diaz, base, here, NOW!_ " She said quickly into the phone. He had to pull his phone away from his ear when she yelled that last part, but quickly recovered.

"Chelsea, what's going on?" He asked her.

" _Are you deaf?! Base here, NOW!_ " She yelled again, and hung up. Marco looked at his phone in confusion. Chelsea actually sounded...worried. Was something happening at the base? He had to go check it out, but...what about Star? If he left without any explanation, she would feel hurt. Or worse, lonely. He couldn't leave her after what just happened, but...it didn't seem like he had much choice.

* * *

Marco walked into the base, looking around for Chelsea and Mason. But he didn't see anyone. There was complete silence, no sign of anyone. Marco turned and was about to go out the door, when someone smacked him hard across the face.

Marco stumbled in surprise, but recovered quickly and looked around. He saw no one. Confused, he took a cautious step forward, only to be slapped again by the invisible force. ON the opposite cheek. Marco stepped back and got into a karate stance. He looked around for his attacker, but there was no one there. He took careful steps, always moving his field of vision to take in all of his surroundings.

There was a girl's laugh, echoing throughout the entire Complex. Marco turned around, looking for the source. What the heck was going on? What was this thing? Was it another person with an M-type bondage? Or was it something different?

He had to find Mason. He would know what the heck was going on. Marco turned and hurried down the hallway, standing in a position that would protect him if he was suddenly attacked. Marco ran into the nearest room he found and opened the door. He scanned the room quickly, and noticed no sign of anyone. He closed the door, and went to the room next to it, doing the same. Again, no one there. He went to the next door. No one. The next. No one.

After the fifth door, as he was turning to go to the next one, he was suddenly hit hard in the face. Marco fell and landed on his back, hitting his head slightly on the tiles. He groaned from the sudden pain he was in, and opened his eyes and saw...Janna?

Wait, this wasn't Janna. This girl looked like Janna, but she wasn't. She had purple-colored eyes, and she wore a black leather, skin-tight suit, marking every crevice of her body in ways that _no one_ with any dignity or self-respect would allow. Marco's eyes widened as he blushed, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with this person so close to him. It didn't help that she leaned in closer, almost an inch away from his face, bending over him. There was an intensity in her eyes that seemed to strike Marco at his very core, making him stay frozen to the spot.

"...Are you him?" She asked. Marco, still looking flustered and scared out of his wits because of this girl's appearance, was now introduced to confusion.

"...Uh, I don't know." He said slowly. "Who is 'him'?" He asked. Her face fell in disappointment, the intensity turning into a sort of depression.

"You're not him, are you?" She asked. Then her face got angry. "Dash lied to me!" She yelled, and Marco felt a vibration run throughout his body like a wave. Without thinking about what he was doing, he closed his eyes and focused, and felt a tingle in his brain. But it wasn't a bad tingle, it was like...warm water, when you take a shower. He opened his eyes, and it was like the world had not only froze, it was covered in a small layer of red, like a filter in a camera, making the world around him lighter than it was supposed to be. He moved out from under the girl, and stood up, stepping back away from her.

When he got three steps away from her, the red slowly faded, until the world was back to normal around him. The area where he laid...shivered, it seemed. The air warped, and the tiles cracked, leaving hairline fractures in an almost perfect shape of his body. Marco flinched, thinking what would have happened to him if he had stayed there for even another second. The girl turned around to him quickly, looking shocked. Then she smiled.

"I knew you were him!" She said. "It's destiny, you know." She smiled, doing a little clap while she hopped once...which made Marco even more uncomfortable. He stepped back, his face burning with a blush. "I can't wait. Am I going to take your name, or do you want mine?" She asked. Marco looked at her confused, and then she giggled. "What am I saying? I'll take yours! _Ichelx_ _Diaz_!" She said, in a dreamy voice.

 _Okay...now I'm creeped out._ He thought. Marco looked around, now convinced he was part of some elaborate prank. He looked at the girl, with confusion evident on his face.

"Uh, Janna, I don't know exactly what you're trying to pull...or who put you up to it...but this is starting to go a _little_ out of hand." He said. Slowly, carefully, so that the girl couldn't see him. Whoever this was, this was not Janna. Either that, or she suddenly became very good at acting. But that smile. It seemed so innocent, but if you looked into her eyes...there was a certain darkness that you could just feel emanating from her...It scared him out of his wits. Marco took a breath, suddenly unable to look her in the eyes.

"I don't know what's cuter. Your habit of blushing whenever you're embarrassed, or...just you _entirely_." She said, biting her lip in a very... _unprofessional_ way. Marco blushed some more, but shook it off, getting serious.

"Just who the heck are you? Why did you attack me?" He asked. She seemed to sober a bit, but still stayed terrifyingly cheery.

"I was just playing with you. You saved my soul once, Marco. Don't you remember that. You, you saved my soul. We belong together now." She said. Marco was now one-hundred percent creeped out.

"...What did you do to my friends?" He asked. Ichelx tilted her head, an innocent look crossing her face, as if she didn't know what he was talking about. Then a smile crossed her face.

"Oh, I locked them in a closet!" She said cheerfully. Marco raised an eyebrow. "They weren't very nice to me. The flying girl tried to hurt me. I didn't like that, Marco. It was scary."

"...I would think so. Can you let them out?" He asked. He didn't know where she was holding them, and he needed her to find them. She pouted and bent her head, looking up at him, like...a child. She was like a child.

"But they tried to hurt me." She said.

"I'll make sure they don't. Okay, Ichelx?" He asked. At the mention of her name, she smiled widely. She snapped her fingers, and a door at the end of the hallway opened, with two bodies tumbling out. Marco looked over and saw Mason and Chelsea sprawled all over the ground, slowly getting up and groaning. If this wasn't such a serious moment, this would've have been almost comical.

"Guys, are you okay?" He asked them. Chelsea stood up quickly, pointing the sword at Ichelx.

"What the hell did you do?!" She asked angrily. Ichelx yelped in fear, hiding behind Marco. _Just like a little kid,_ he thought. He held his hands up, as if the action would automatically calm Chelsea down.

"Hey, just calm down for a second." He said. He had never seen Chelsea this angry before this. How did this girl make her that angry?

"Marco, this girl is a threat." Mason said, a steely look on his face. '"You need to move out of the way right now."

"Why is she a threat? What exactly did she do that makes Chelsea want to shish-kabob her?" He asked.

"What, besides locking us in a closet?" Chelsea asked.

"She was scared! She thought you were trying to hurt her!" He said. Mason stepped closer to him.

"Marco, you need to move. Right now." He said. Marco stayed silent, but he never moved from that spot. He felt a...need to protect her, though he didn't know why. It was a sudden...urge he got. He looked Mason in the eye, and tried to appear more confident than he was. Which was hard at the moment, because of Ichelx whimpering behind him, and Chelsea pointing a sword at him.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his neck, and he felt very woozy. He stumbled a bit, and fell, feeling himself getting lost into sleep.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat on the couch, waiting for Marco to get home. She was disappointed he had to leave, and a little scared, but he had responsibilities to take care of. He was always the responsible one out of both of them.

But with his absence, it gave Star some time to think about what just happened. That...thing wasn't after her wand, obviously, but after _M_ _arco_. Why? What secret could Marco have that would get the attention of something like this? Not even the politicians of Mewnie had that big of a secret.

And Star saw his face when he helped her into the house. She could only guess that he didn't know what that was, which meant he was in even more danger than she thought. How can you protect yourself from something that you don't know is going to hurt you? Star felt fear for Marco, but not as nearly as scared as she was for herself. That thing had left Marco unharmed, which meant it didn't want to hurt him.

Herself, however, was a different story. She had caused her so much pain just by touching her, and she couldn't imagine what he could do if he was really trying. Star was scared.

She hadn't been scared of many things in her life, but this was definitely something that she had to be worried about. This...whatever it was...it could kill her easily. It was too fast for her to catch him, or even graze him with her magic, and whenever he was still, Star couldn't do anything but freeze in fear.

She was helpless. She had to tell her parents. But, if she did, they might take her away from earth. From Marco. She didn't want that. Then again, she couldn't handle this by herself, and she didn't think Marco could help her with this one. But if she told, he might have to stay here to fight this thing off alone. And he wouldn't last for very long.

This was an impossible decision. Star could never make one like this on her own, but...who would she go to for advice. Not her mom, not her dad, not Princess Ponyhead...Mr. and Mrs. Diaz! They had great advice, and they could keep a secret. And if they couldn't, they didn't have the mirror anymore, so it didn't mater anyways. But still, how to ask them? She didn't want to worry them, but...

She sighed and stood up, walking into the kitchen.

"Mrs. Diaz?" She asked, since she was the only one present a the moment. "Can I ask you a question?" Mrs. Diaz put down a plate she was washing and walked over to Star, taking off her rubber gloves.

"Yes, Star? What is it?" She asked. Star was a bit nervous, but spoke anyways.

"Well, I have this...friend, and she's in a lot of trouble." She said. To her, it seemed like a perfect cover. Then again, she hasn't been on earth for a while.

"Oh? And what exactly is this... _friend_ in trouble with?" Mrs. Diaz asked.

"Well, I can't really say exactly, something happened to her, and now she doesn't know whether to keep a secret to protect herself, or tell it to help one of her friends." She said.

"...Well...I would tell your friend that she has to do whatever is best for everyone. Find a way to make sure no one gets hurt." Mrs. Diaz then went back to doing the dishes.

 _Make sure no one gets hurt,_ she thought to herself, _yeah, I can do that._

* * *

 ** _Ichelx_ (itch-ELKS) is a variation of a mayan female name (Ix Chel) meaning "Goddess of the moon." **

**Oh, and exciting news. So if you've seen my profile, which I suspect many have, I was planning on doing a big crossover series with some of the characters from my stories, OC's and all. Well, after I've finished this story. Which _might_ happen sooner than expected, like on chapter 25, but to get all the good stuff in, I might wait until nearly _30_ to end it. And after I end it, there will be a sequel and maybe a prequel, but that crossover story, that's definitely happening.**

 **And don't worry, in this other story, the powers and conditions and ect. of the the other characters, they will be explained in the story, so you don't have to read the other story to know what's going on. Although you could if you want.**

 **This is just to let you guys know what's going on with it, and to give you all some reassurances on what's going on.**


	11. The System

(Marco's POV)

Marco sat up slowly, a buzzing running throughout his entire system. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. A large aching was present in every fiber of his being, as if he had just been stuck in an uncomfortable position for several hours. He stretched, but could never move in a way that took care of even a small amount of he feeling that was present. He looked around, studying his surroundings...there were none.

He was in a large glass box, the edges layered with thick metal rods that glowed an odd blue color. He stood up and turned in a circle, looking around him. The room was dark, except for a single light bulb above him that illuminated his small glass prison. He looked around him, attempting to see through the darkness, but no such luck. He groaned and sat down, leaning his head back, facing the light. He sat there for a second, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly he got this urge, deep down inside of him. He opened his eyes and looked down, towards the boom of the glass. He took is fingernail and started to scratch the glass. He didn't know what he was doing, only that he was doing something, something that he had to do. He continued to do so, a pattern of circle and lines...a drawing. It was half finished, and he could make out he form of a person. I was strange and scary, how much he felt like he needed to do this without knowing why. After a few more minutes, the image became clear.

It was him, he could tell, somehow, but...he was wearing a suit, with a pair sunglasses upside down on his face, opening his arms and leaning as if to say " _look at me_." It looked like something he wold never do. So why did he draw it? What did it mean? Was he going crazy?

He leaned back and studied the cartoon of himself, wondering what it could possibly mean. Maybe it was just his paranoia at work.

"So, this is he supposed victim?" Someone asked. Marco looked up, and saw Chelsea and Mason standing with a middle-aged woman, who was wearing a large trench coat and knee high boots. She had dark brown hair, but fiery red eyes that seemed to stand out against the darkness around them, like fire. He found it uncomfortable to look at them.

"Yes, Superior. We think the irregular somehow took control of his mind." Mason said. Marco raised an eyebrow. What were they talking about? No one took over his mind. And what was a "superior?"

"I would like to see this irregular." The woman, "the Superior," said. Okay, now what the heck was an irregular? Was it him? It was like he was learning more trapped inside this box than he did outside of it. Mason nodded, and with a flick of his hand, a light turned on next to Marco's. Looking over, he could see Ichelx, her arms wrapped around her knees. When she looked up, she looked straight at the woman, standing up quickly. The Superior let out a groan, burying her head in one of her hands. After a few seconds, she looked back up. "Let them go."

Mason and Chelsea, seemed surprised by this, as did Marco. Why was this person letting them go, when Chelsea and Mason had gone through what he assumed was a lot of trouble to put them in these glass boxes?

"B-but...she's an Irregular!" Mason said.

"Yes...and she's my daughter." Marco saw all the color drain from Mason's face, and Chelsea's jaw dropped. In the box next to him, Ichelx knocked on the glass. Marco looked over to see her leaning on the glass, facing him. She waved at him slightly, smiling. Marco waved back, then looked at the woman. Then back to Ichelx. He pointed to the lady and then to her, and Ichelx nodded.

Chelsea walked out of the light, and a loud horn could be heard. The glass in front of him moved in an arc, until it hit the ground and made a ramp. He stepped off, and immediately was tackled into a hug by Ichelx, who was laughing.

"I told you so!" She said. Just like a child, he thought. He didn't know what to do, so he just hugged her back, despite how uncomfortable he was, and rolled his eyes.

"Sure, you did." He said, and wondered what she was talking about.

"Ichelx, would you introduce me to your friend?" The lady said. Ichelx giggled.

"Mom, this is Marco." She said, pulling him up to the lady. he found himself standing under her glare. He raised a nervous hand in a wave.

"H-hi." He said weakly. The lady frowned at him, and Marco found himself terrified under her gaze. After a second, her face gave away to a smile, and Marco felt a weight lifted off him. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"This one's a good one. Don't chase him away, now." She said. He blushed from embarrassment, and Ichelx followed suit.

" _Moooooom_!" She said, while her mom laughed. Marco felt a little better, but he saw Chelsea out of the corner of his eye. She was standing against the door, holding her arms, and looking down. It was obvious she felt bad, and she should. She had him locked up in that box. Granted, it wasn't for very long, but still! I thought they trusted me at least a little bit.

"All right, all right." The lady said. "But you are going to have to introduce him to your father, young lady."

"Uh, I-I'm sorry, but what-" Marco started.

"No problem!" She giggled, turning to Marco. "He's going to love you!"

"Uh, but, I- "

"Oh, I have to go see him. Marco, you want to come?"

"Actually, I have to go-"

" _Pleeeeeeeeeeaase_?!" She asked, stretching out the word in an annoying manner.

"But, my parents are waiting for me, and I..." Ichelx was pouting, her eyes started to water. Marco sighed.

"...Fine." He said. Ichelx jumped up, cheering. "But I have to get home."

"Awww." Ichelx said.

"Now, now, Ichelx, your boyfriend has to go home." The Superior said. Marco blushed hard.

"Woah-woah, hold up, we're not-"

"Okay! Bye, Marco!" She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He froze, hopeless. _Why is no one listening to me?_ He thought. Ichelx skipped off, leaving Marco alone. He face-palmed.

"Uh, why me?" He said to himself. Why did his life have to become so complicated? He better stop this girl before she got any ideas. He put his hand down, and was about to walk out of the room, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked back to see Ichelx's mom with a hand on his shoulder.

"Before you go, Marco, I have to talk to you." She said.

"Yes ma'am." He said.

"Can you make sure that she doesn't get hurt. I would hate to see something happen to her." She said. Marco was definitely not going to be Ichelx's boyfriend, but he didn't intend to hurt her, or to see her get hurt.

"...Yes, ma'am." He said. "...Before I go, I have a few questions."

"Oh, of course. If it will make up for this little misunderstanding." She said. Mason looked away, anger evident in him, and Chelsea flinched.

"...Well, I was wondering why Chelsea and Mason were calling you 'superior'." He said. The woman sighed.

"Well, I suppose now is a better time than ever to explain." She said. "Arc Angel runs on a strict and large commandment system. It's very similar to your government and army." She stopped, and Marco nodded, showing her that he understood. "The lowest form, the front line fighters, are gathered into different groups of eight called 'Squadrons'. Their are basically soldiers, the ones who go into battle first. Each Squad is commanded by a group of three powerful fighters, called 'Superiors.' They are the second line of either defense or offense, depending on wether we are getting attacked or we are attacking."

"That seems simple enough." He said.

"I wasn't finished. There are two people who work along side each group of Superiors, called Transponders. The are usually used for stealth missions, and are rarely ever seen, their identities hidden. They have direct ties to Transformers. The Transformers are sort of advisers to the Council, and the Council makes nearly all the important decisions. Superiors have direct ties with the Council."

"...So, you have Transponders, Superiors, Squadrons, and the council."

"And the Transformers. There are only two Transponders, and the Transformers are separated into two groups of two. Keep in mind there are only three Squadrons right now. The council has thirteen members only, an uneven number so that there are no ties."

"Like the Supreme Court Justice. Wait, you said the council makes nearly all the important decisions."

"Yes. If it affects not only Arch Angel but another world or dimension, then the entirety of Arc Angel has to make put a vote on the decision. If it affects even more than that, the decision of Arc Angel goes through the Council to two separate groups of four people, called Ponters. Their separate group decisions go to a the head of Arc Angel. But no one really knows who he is."

Marco tried to put all the information together, and found it a little confusing.

"My brain hurts." He said, rubbing his temples. The woman laughed.

"That's to be expected. Don't worry, if you draw it on something it's easier to understand."

"Okay, that answers my first question. But...Ichelx, your daughter...Mason and Chelsea called her and 'Irregular.' What were they talking about?"

"...unfortunately, we haven't the time, nor the necessity, to explain that right now. Perhaps at another time. But, Marco, there is actually something that I need from you. A mission." Marco stepped back.

"Uh, no offense, but last 'mission' I went on, a mall blew up." He said, suddenly very nervous.

"Yes, I understand. But, this is important. There is a boy, and we suspect him to be a powered person, like yourself. If he turns out to be one, you will have to extract him." She said. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"And by extract you mean..."

"You're going to have to kidnap him." Marco expected to do a lot of things in Arc Angel, but felonies were not one of them

"Great. Is there anything else that you want to tell me? I'm not going to have to go now, am I?"

"Oh, no. But, I do have a little...gift for you." She said. She pulled up a large briefcase, and Marco took it. What kind of person came to interrogate someone and also bring them a gift.

"May I ask why?" "No." "All right." They finished their quick, unpaused conversation, and Marco opened the briefcase slowly and studied the insides.

"Oh, no. No, no, nope, never, not in a million freaking years."

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat in the living room, waiting patiently for Marco to get back. The sun was setting. She looked at the clock, he had already ben gone four hours, and Star was starting to get worried. What was taking him so long? Was he really that busy at work?

She sighed and picked up the house phone, dialing Marco's number. She heard a ringing outside. She looked up and saw Marco walk in the through the door, holding his phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" He said. Star put the phone back in it's cradle, stood up, and walked to him.

"Were have you been?" She asked him.

"I told you, there was an emergency at work, I had to get there fast-"

"But why did it take hours? Even I know that a grocery store doesn't have many problems that take four hours to solve." She said. Marco sighed.

"Star, I was just really busy. Can we talk about this later, I'm tired, and I have bruises in places I didn't know existed." He said.

"But...you promised to go dimension hopping with me!" She said, disappointed. Marco pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I did say that, didn't I?" He said. After a few seconds, he groaned. "All right, let's go. If we go know, we can get back before I'm even more exhausted." Star scoffed.

"Never mind. I'm just going to bed." She said. She opened a portal and jumped through before Marco could say anything.

She landed on her feet, huffing in anger. When had he become so infuriating? First, he leaves her, alone, after she is attacked. For four hours! Then, when he comes back, he doesn't even tell her why! Who does that? And they way he talked, it seemed so...unlike him. He was so...different. Why did he have to change, he was perfect before.

"*Groan,* why am I so angry?" She yelled out to no one.

"Well, that depends on how much he messed up." Someone said. Star turned to see Kalahari standing there, an apologetic smile on his face. Star sighed.

"Kalahari, it nothing, Marco just..." Star sighed. She really didn't want to dwell on what happened with Marco.

"Okay, the whole leaving while you were injured thing, that I can understand you being angry about. But it didn't really seem like he did anything wrong besides." Kalahari said. Star looked at him, and suddenly became extremely angry. God da-...he read her freaking mind again.

"Stop that!" She yelled at him.

"Sorry, it's not something I can turn off." He said, putting his hands up in a surrendering gesture.

"Well, can you stop doing it on me?" She said, crossing her arms. Kalahari nodded and put his hands down.

"Why are you so angry? It's not like he was a complete jerk to you, after all." He said.

"You don't understand. It's not just him leaving, it's...*sigh* he's not supposed to be like this. He's distracted all the time, it's like he doesn't have any time for me. Even after all that..." She stopped herself, trying to think of something else to stop him from seeing what happened.

"What...oh, my god." He said, smiling widely.

"Stop!" Star said, angry and scared.

"Oh, that's so romantic! He really-"

"I said stop!" She yelled, blushing furiously. Kalahari was laughing hard, trying to contain his enjoyment. "I hate you."

"Sorry, sorry." He said. Star crossed her arms. "Uh, don't belike that. You know, you need to do something to take your mind off of this entire thing." Star sighed.

"I guess you're right." She said. "But no more mind reading."

"So, does the princess of Mewnie need any cheering up? My brothers are hosting a party in a little while, and I just wanted to see if you were up for it." Star looked him up and down. A royal Draconian event was nothing compared to the Bounce Lounge, but it was better than going somewhere alone.

"All right." She said, giving in.

"Cool." He said. "So, you don't want to go to the Bounce Lounge?"

"I KNEW IT!"


	12. Kalahari's girl

**This one is a little bit of a longer read, but it's worth it.**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco stood defiantly in the bathroom, arms crossed like a child.

"I'm not coming out." He said, which was met with an impatient groan.

"Come on, Marco! Look, Mason's not here anymore! Just me and you, so come one. The sooner you get this over with, the better it is for every one." Chelsea said through the door, continuing the now twenty minute argument he they had been having.

"I don't care." He said, met with another groan.

"Marco, please! Look I promise not to tell anyone about this!" She said, " _Marcooooo_!"

"Uh, fine!" He yelled. He pulled the door opened and stepped out.

His body was covered in a tight one piece leather suit, similar to ones that he had seen in the movie Tron, but it was a solid bright red, all the lines outlined in yellow lightning. It was too tight, which the Superior said was too reduce drag when he used his power. There was a mask hanging off the back, made to cover half his face attached to his suit so that he could pull it over his face, holes where the eyes should be. There The problem was that it was too shaped up in every place, making it a little embarrassing...which was a little too much for him. He crossed his arms, blushing, as Chelsea studied him. He expected her to burst out laughing, but she wasn't.

"It, um...it looks...good." She said, stammering. Marco was confused, but realized that it might be because of what had happened. He knew that no matter what happened, she would never trust him. They had thrown him in a glass box without any hesitation. He wasn't over that yet, and he didn't know when he would be.

"Well, let's just get this...whatever it is over with." He said, stepping past her.

"Uh, Marco?" She said, walking beside him. "I wanted to talk to you about what happened...yesterday..."

"Chelsea, I really just want this to be over with. I'm here way too early, I'm tired, I...*sigh*, look, we will talk when I get back, all right?" He said.

"Uh, yeah. yeah." She said.

Marco walked into the room, where Mason, Ichelx, and the Superior waited. Ichelx looked at him in a greedy way. The Superior was studying him, looking at him as if he was a science experiment, which seemed to be as almost as scary as the way that Ihcelx was staring at her. Almost.

"I like it. A lot." Ichelx said, a hint of something unidentifiable in her tone, which scared Marco.

"I don't." Marco said. "And could you please be a little less...creepy about it?" She gave him an apologetic look, but some of the want on her face was still evident.

"Sorry. But seriously, you look good." She said. He rolled his eyes.

"Ichelx, I'm pretty sure that I could be naked and you'd still say I'd look good." He said. Her eyes widened.

"I don't know, maybe I should-"

"Ichelx!" Marco interrupted her, and she giggled. He sighed. What was with this girl? She went from childish to perverted in three seconds flat. Marco definitely did not sign up for _that._ Actually, he never signed up at all. He still didn't know why he continued to help these people.

"Well, we won't know it works until we test it." The Superior said. Marco nodded, getting serious again.

"How far is it to Piedmont?" Marco asked.

"Four hours." She said. Marco sighed. Great. He would be traveling for four hours to Piedmont. "Listen, Marco. This boy could be very powerful, and as such could as well be very dangerous. According to his record, he has a history of...dangerous habits."

"That doesn't narrow anything down." Marco said. "Besides, how do you know this is your guy? Or that he even has any powers at all?"

"We...have a reliable source." She said. Marco rolled his eyes. And, again with all the secrets. He was getting tired of this. "The mission has to be completed by midnight _tonight_."

"Midnight? How am I supposed to be in Piedmont by midnight." He asked.

"You're a smart boy. You'll figure it out." She said. "Anyways, since we have a good...six hours before you have to leave, we should debrief you on the subject." Marco winced at the word "subject."

"Can we use something other than the word ' _subject_ '?" He asked. "It sounds like he's more an object than a person. How about his name?"

"All right. His name is Dipper. Dipper Pines." She said. Marco stared at her, not sure if she was messing with him or not.

"...Well, he has an...interesting name, that's for sure." He said. "So what do you guys know about him?"

"As much as the internet tells us." She said. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure what the internet is like where you're from, but here, it's not always a...an authentic source of information." He said.

"Where I'm from, we don't have internet. And, we only looked at the news articles and magazines in the nearby vicinity of his address." She said, handing him a stack of papers contained in a clear plastic folder. Opening it, he found a plethora of newspapers and magazine articles on him. All of them on his inventions and creations. Some of them in his favor.

"Did he really set fire to the Fire Department?" He asked, sounding incredulous.

"Self lighting fireworks. Not the best idea in there." The superior said. Marco continued to flip through the majority of the paper, finding more and more info on the failed inventions and the peoples'... _colorful_ opinion to them.

"Jeez, this guy basically became a public menace with a...i'm not even sure what the hell that is." He said, showing the Superior the photo he found of an invention completely on fire.

"A make-shift solar powered car engine." She said. Marco looked at the picture closely.

"Well, obviously the suns trying to kill us all." Marco said, closing the folder. "How old is this guy?"

"Well, these papers were put out when he was at least fourteen, thirteen." The superior said.

"Huh, teenagers. So unstable." He mumbled under his breath. "Wait, these were posted two years ago. Has he not been doing anything the last two years?"

"Uh, he's been...preoccupied for quite a while now." The superior said, Marco not noticing the suspicious touch to her tone.

"What, he just gave up? Well, after that many fails, I would've moved on, too." He said, handing the folder back to her. "So what makes you think this guy has powers?"

"We noticed some unusual thing about him." She said. Marco waited a second for a more detailed explanation, but when none was given, he scoffed.

"That's it?" He asked. "Almost everybody has something unusual about them, you're going to have to be more precise."

"Unusual enough to raise suspicion." She said, turning and walking away. Marco was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and followed her.

"Wait a second. If this guy is dangerous or anything of the like, don't I have a right to know what I'm getting myself into?" He asked. Ichelx stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Marco, just wait a minute." She said, to his surprise.

"Really? What if this guy can kill me? Blow up my brain, poison me, whatever. I would at least like to have an idea of what I'm doing, and what I'm supposed to do once I get there." He said, aiming his words more at the Superior than at Ichelx. The Superior walked through the front doors, closing with a metallic clunk behind her. Marco scoffed. "Great. No one will give me a straight answer around here."

He walked off towards one of the training rooms, knowing he would be alone. He walked in and slammed the door behind him. These people were making him so goddamned frustrated. He sat in the corner next to the door, were the shadows hid him so he knew he wouldn't be found. There was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Chelsea or Mason, he ignored it.

"Marco?" Chelsea's voice rang through the door. Now knowing it was Chelsea, he became even quieter. Yet, despite him trying his hardest to convince her he wasn't there, she opened the door, seeing him sitting in the corner. "Marco, we need to talk."

"I really don't want to." He said. Chelsea sighed and closed the door standing in front of him with her arms crossed.

"Look, Marco, I know that you're relatively new here, but if a Superior gives you a mission, you're not exactly in a place to question it." She said. Marco looked at her incredulously.

"Oh, so I'm just supposed to follow this _complete stranger_ , without any knowledge of what she's asking me to do or how to do it." He said. "There's a chance could _die_ out there. I would like to know what I'm up against before trying to fight it."

"Marco, it doesn't matter how the mission gets done. We just get it done." She said, as if that was the answer to everything.

"Sorry, but unlike _you_ Chelsea, I prefer not to follow people blindly." He said.

"That's not what it is-"

"Isn't it?" He interrupted. He stood up, standing face to face with her. "Tell me, how isn't it. Tell me why should I go, likely _to my_ _death_ , onthe say-so of a person I don't even know."

"Because you have to." She said. He scoffed, walking away from her. "Because we are trying to help people. Trying to save the world! Believe it or not, Marco, we have your best interest in mind."

"Oh, really? Like, when you were swinging that sword at me, you had my best interest in mind?" He asked. She looked away, a frown still on her face. "When you put me in a glass box, for absolutely no reason I might add, you had my best interest in mind?!"

"Yes!" She yelled, facing him.

"Bullshit." He said. "Now, I may not know what you know, but I know for a hell of fact that _locking someone up_ isn't helping anything." She started towards him.

"Yes, it was, you just-" She stopped, still halfway in between them. "You just don't understand." She finished quietly.

"What?! What don't I understand?! Please, make me understand?! 'Cause where I'm standing from, there doesn't seem to be that much to understand!"

"It's her!" She yelled, her voice raising again. "That girl! She's just..."

"Ichelx?" He asked. "Just what? What does she have to do with any of this!"

"You don't know her! You don't know what she's like!" She said. Marco could almost laugh.

"And you do? Because, as it seems to me, she's been more of friend than you, Mason, or anybody else in this place has been! I don't even know why I'm helping you people."

"Marco, if you knew what she was really like-"

"Tell me!" He interrupted. "Tell me what I'm missing here, tell me what I don't know!"

"I can't." She said. Marco stopped and stood closer to her.

"Why? Why can't you tell me anything?" He asked, in a quieter tone, but it still had all the rage from a moment ago.

"You can't know yet, we have to be sure that..." She trailed of quietly. Marco put two and two together in his head.

"You don't trust me, do you?" He asked. Her silence was all he needed. He thought that was the case before, but hearing it was a completely other thing. "You, know, there was a time when I thought you might have been something of a friend. I guess I was wrong." He walked away, not noticing the tears in her eyes.

"Marco, I-" She started, but Marco interrupted her.

"I'll do this mission, whatever it is. But after that, I'm done. With you, this place, all of it." He said.

"Marco, please..." He never heard the end. He closed the door, muffling whatever she had said, and walked out of there. he grabbed his pants and his hoodies, throwing them hastily over his suit, so that it was concealed, his mask hidden in his hood. When he was outside, he felt this frustration just drive up inside him. He stopped for a moment. Looked up to the sky, and let out a scream that embodied all the frustration and anger that he had kept inside of him. After he let out the scream, he felt somewhat of a weight lifted of his shoulders. He looked down to the ground, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked home in the cold morning air, seeing the fog from his breath loom under him.

* * *

A few hours later, he was standing outside of the Great Mercy Hospital in Piedmont, California, Chelsea talking in his ear.

" _Okay, I'm almost to the room. Marco, are you in position?"_

"Yes." He said. This guy had been in a coma for two years. Two years! He would've expected them to tell him this before he took a four hour bus to Piedmont, but go figure. He would be more than glad to get out of this business.

" _Would you like something else?_ " Chelsea's voice said through the intercom. He was confused, but figured that she was just talking to this Dipper guy. There was chatter, which he assumed was him, but he couldn't make any of it out. " _Oh, there's nothing wrong with that. Little kids are always so funny, especially when they're confused._ " Marco raised an eyebrow. Just what was happening on the other end of this conversation. " _Sweet._ " She said. It sounded just like when she had pretended to be the nurse at his hospital. " _So, how are you? I mean, are you comfortable?_ " Silence for a few more moments. " _It's nice to take a break._ " She said. Silence. " _It's nice to take a break. But I don't want to worry you about that._ " Silence. " _First time I heard that from a guy...what's your name?..._ _Chelsea...so what ended you up in here?...Wow...that's really mature for a sixteen year old...Well, i'm sure you could use some company after all you've been through..._ " There was silence for way too long. " _A succubus, huh? Not really what they were expecting, but it's pretty close. You're a lucky guy."_

"A succubus? This boy bonded with a demon?" Mason said. Marco thought about asking what that was, but his resentment overcame his curiosity.

The intercom turned off, and Marco saw Mason pull out the same piece of glass that the Superior had. After a moment, Mason said. "Activate." He put it down. Marco and Mason waited for Chelsea to get out of the hospital, and a safe distance away. There was silence between them before Mason finally spoke up.

"So, Chelsea tells me you're leaving." He said.

"Yeah." Was all Marco said back.

"Anything I can do to get you to change you're mind?" He asked.

"No." He said. He was convinced to talk to them as little as possible. Silence enveloped them again, and Marco thought to himself that he would give anything to be anywhere but here. After a while, Marco saw Chelsea leave the hospital and take off. Since it was somewhat dark, she was nearly invisible as her armor appeared while she flew.

"Okay, man. You're up." Mason said. He ignored him and, activating his powers, walked up and into the hospital. He followed Chelsea's instructions and soon he was in a room. He saw someone a little older than him. At least he looked like that. He was so skinny in everything from his face to his arms, it certainly looked like he had been in a come for two years. He had a smile on his face, but it was a forced, a hint of sadness. Marco immediately felt horrible about taking him from this room. _One and done, Diaz_ , He thought to himself. Picking him up he carried to statue of the boy down to the street and set him down, stepping away from him.

"Sorry about this man." He said, then unactivated most his power, so that the world around him was moving normally, but his body was till in power mode. The boy turned around on the ground and froze at the sight of him. " . We need to talk."

"...Who are you?" Dipper asked.

" _Call yourself the Speedster._ " Mason's voice rang through his had. Marco recognized he was about to be sucked back into to this.

"I'm the Speedster." Marco said. "Not the best nickname, I know, but still. There are somethings that I need to discuss with you." He said. Dipper looked Marco up and down.

"Discuss what?" He asked hesitantly.

"I'm form a vast and very secret organization called Arc Angel."

"What does that have to do with me?" Dipper asked. _Hopefully, nothing._

"You've bonded with a demon. We need to make sure that you're not a threat to anyone, yourself or otherwise." Marco said.

"I don't need help." Dipper said. Marco recognized that he was trying to seem more confident in himself, but he honestly wasn't doing a very good job.

" _Marco, just repeat what I say._ " Mason said. Marco was annoyed, but did so.

"Yes, I'm sure. But, if you are unstable or anything of the sort, we will need to take you into custody."

"Uh, yeah, I don't think so." He said.

"Only if you're a threat. If you're not, we will leave you alone. Unless you choose to come with us."

"Yeah, I'm not going with you." He said. Marco supported his choice, and knew even Mason couldn't make him go against his will.

"Of course you're not. But I will have to do a psych evaluation. And even after that, I will have to study over the course of a week, to make sure that you won't explode or turn into...something very unpleasant." He said. Marco was unsure what unpleasant meant, but he wasn't about to ask.

"Can we _not_ do that?" Dipper asked. Marco smirked. This guy was agreeable.

"I don't have much of a choice here, guy. My boss is very touchy." Marco said, choosing not to repeat after what Mason said that time. Dipper sighed.

"...Can you at least stop that goddamn thing your doing with your face?" Dipper asked. Marco shrugged and did so, his mask still hiding most of his face."All right, now can we at least talk this out."

"Shoot." Marco had to admire this guys calmness. He would've expected him to be a complete mess with all this being thrown at him.

"Okay, I really just want to go back to the hospital and rest. So, can you, like, wait until I get better until you take me to wherever you're taking me." He said. Marco waited for Mason to answer. When he did, Marco wanted nothing more than to just go away and ignore this entire thing right now, but he did it. Not for Arc Angel, but for this guy, who would obviously need help.

"...Three weeks." He said. "Then I have to take you in for eval. If anything happens before that, go to Echo Creek and look for a boy named Marco Diaz." _Oh, I am going to kill both of you_ , Marco thought angrily. Before another word could be uttered, Marco turned and walked away, using his power. He felt regret for leaving that guy in the street, but it was over powered by anger at himself for letting himself get drug in again. He was still leaving, but he would help this guy. Then that was it. He stepped behind the hospital and put his normal clothes on top of his suit.

As he made his way to the bus, he started making up colorful sentences to shout at Mason and Chelsea.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat next to Kalahari on a dining table in the vast expanse of the Great Hall in the Castle of the first Draconian Royal. Star couldn't help but dazzle at all the lights that surrounded the top and the walls, seeming impossibly bright. It was like Magic, except it wasn't, and that made it even more impressive. The lights were made of colorful crystals, shaped in an octagon, and they overlapped each other, thousands of different shades of thousands of different colors, and no two colors touched. It looked like the scales of a gem dragon. The chandelier was made of a pure whit crystal, that somehow gave off yellow light. Every dining table had silk covering, metal chairs with the same designs of scales as the walls, and small floating fireballs that moved up and down, rotating around slowly. The food was better than anything that Star had ever tasted, on earth or otherwise. It was amazing, she couldn't even begin to note all of the things that were present.

She looked over and saw Kalahari with a smug look on his face. He could tell she was enjoying it, and the thought that he had finally impressed her had gotten to his head.

"No, you got it all wrong." He said. "It's just that I told you that this would be better than the Bounce lounge."

"Okay, one, I told you to stop reading my mind. Next time you do that I'm going to magic you so hard. And two, this is _not_ better than the Bounce Lounge, it's just...nice to look at. The Bounce Lounge is were you go to party, I would come here just to look at it."

"If our parents had their way, you would be seeing this everyday." He said, a frown taking over his face. Star couldn't help but agree.

"Yeah. I still can't believe this whole arranged marriage thing." She said.

"Yeah. I mean, no offense, you're great and all, but you're just...not my type."

"Yeah, I kinda got that. Wait, you have a type? *gasp* You like someone, don't you?"

"It's a little more complicated than that."

"So, Kalahari, since you know all about _my_ love life, who is the special lady in your life?" She asked. Kalahari rolled his eyes.

"Her name was Hyacinth. She's one of the generals in my first army." He said. Star's jaw dropped.

"A _general_?" She said, careful not to make too much noise, leaning on her hands as if she was interested. "Oh, you rascal! Tell me all about it."

"Well...it's not exactly a romantic story." He said. Star leaned in closer, signaling him to go on. "Well...It was in the war room. The most romantic place in Draconia, I know, but still...the War Council had just dispersed, and I was looking over some defense plans. Next thing I know, a girl, just a year older than me, comes out of nowhere and sits down next to me. I jumped, squealing a little higher than I'd like to admit."

"Smooth."

"Yeah, I know. So, I'm blushing, embarrassed, and she just sits there, looking at me like I'm a suspicious character. I'm red, but I notice something. I can't hear her thoughts. That doesn't happen very often, trust me, but this girl. Since she was wearing a general's outfit, I knew she wasn't a spy. Still, I was curious. Before I could say anything, she says..."

* * *

(FLASHBACK)

"You're not from around here are you?" She said. She didn't look like she would stand out in a crowd, but she was definitely noticeable. I was surprised. Didn't she know I was the prince? Maybe she didn't?

"Actually, I've been here all my life." I said.

"Can anyone vouch for you?" She asked. I was surprised, but amused. She was interrogating me. She really had no idea who I was.

"Yes, a lot of people. My turn, who are you?" I asked. She stiffened up, a little guarded. I couldn't tell what she was thinking, so I didn't know what kind of person she was.

"I'm the first general of the royal army. Who are you?" I was now interested.

"A general? I wouldn't have guessed, what with you being-"

"Female?" She asked, crossing her arms. I was a little estranged, but still curious.

"Young. Then again, I'm pretty young myself, and here we are." I said. "Makes you wonder."

"About what?" She asked. I was sure this was a test, but I ad no hope of passing.

"I don't know. Anything, really."

"You get philosophical often?" She asked. "Because I don't really do that touchy-feely stuff." She said.

"I can see that?"

"...You know, you are kind of cute." She said out of nowhere. I was so surprised and...admittedly scared, it looked like my face jumped off my head, which was amusing to her. It was the first time I heard her laugh. "Relax, dumb-ass. I was saying something."

"Sorry, I just...wasn't expecting that." I said.

"Yeah, I bet." She said, rolling her eyes. "So, you free after this?"

"Uh...I got some time."

* * *

After we talked for a while, we took a walk outside. It was dark, but all of these lights filled up the sky. The more we talked, the more I grew closer to her. Soon, we had a real connection. At least, I thought so. We were laughing, talking fluently. Then the night came to an end.

"Look, this has been interesting and all, but I really have to get home." I said. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course, your highness." She said. I was stunned, but also amused. She really did know who I was. Then, without knowing why, I started laughing. It seemed to stu her.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"So you really do know who I am?" I asked her through my laughs.

"Of course. I'm not an idiot." She said.

"Good, I really don't get along well with idiots." I said.

"I would hope not. You were pretty trusting back there. And I know you can't read my mind. That trusting could present a problem for you, your highness."

"Oh, so, _know_ it's 'your highness'."

"Of course, your highness." She said.

"Okay, that will not do at all. My name is Kalahari, and you, as my friend, should call me as such." I said, mocking a proper tone.

"Your highness, I don't think that is proper-"

"Kalahari." I interrupted her. She rolled her eyes.

" _Kalahari_ , I don't think this is wise." She said.

"I really don't care about wise." I told her. "Besides, you were comfortable being normal around me before."

"I was just trying to evaluate what you were like."

"Oh, is that it? And here, I thought we were really getting along." I said, getting a chuckle from here. I smiled, not noticing the warmth rise in me. "I hope we can do this another time."

"Goodbye, your high-...Kalahari." She said, and I smiled.

"See? Isn't that better?" I asked. She rolled her eyes, but I swore I could see her smiling at least a little bit.

* * *

(PRESENT)

"And the next day, I asked her out." He said. "I told you it wasn't that romantic."

"But, you seemed so sure about yourself. If you liked this girl, how could you have kept a straight head?"

"I didn't know I liked her until before I asked her out. It was just something on the spot, I guess." He said. Star smiled. So her clumsy old friend finally got a date. Then she frowned, remembering the current state of things. "But, she was a general. It's considered improper not only for a prince to have a romantic relationship with someone under their status, but a general in a time of unrest. My parents had a mouthful to say."

"What happened?" She asked.

"Well, basically they said that if I didn't break up with her, they would throw her in the dungeon." He said. Star's jaw dropped. "Yes they said that. And yes, we have a dungeon."

"That's horrible...I guess neither of us really wanted this arranged marriage thing, huh?"

"No, that was our parents. We didn't really have a say. But, that's what happens I guess." He said. "So, I spilled my guts, and my telepathy doesn't tell me everything, _sooooo_...how did you fall for the Diaz boy?" Star looked down, blushing. It was one of the farthest things from her mind, but it never really left. She doubted that it could.

"Well...it's kind of embarrassing, and mostly sad..."

* * *

 **Sorry, but I'm going to have to stop here. Next Chapter, Star reveals the secret of what happened between her and Marco.**

 **And, I'd also like to celebrate that this is the most I've written in one chapter _ever_! According to the doc manager, it's over 5,000. But I'm sure if I get rid of this part and all the extra stuff (quotations, periods, ect...) it's way less, but hey, I'm satisfied.**

 **Anyways, sorry about the long read. I'll try to stay short and to the point from now on...starting after the next chapter. That will be dripping with emotion and feelings.**


	13. The Pool of K'aatech, happening

**Shout out to Candy-Vegetto. You're awesome, dude.**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco collapsed on his bed. After sneaking in his house at midnight, he was ready to get some sleep. Just shut his eyes, forget about his problems, and try to-

" _Space Unicorns...flying through the stars..."_ His ringtone rang quietly. He groaned, not wanting to pick it up, but for some reason did.

"Hello?" He asked, tired and annoyed.

" _Marco?_ " A voice asked on the other end. It's breath was fast-paced and shaky. It sounded like...

"...Janna?" He asked, confused.

" _Uh, yeah. Listen, I know this is...a bad time, I...just needed you to do something...for me?_ " Her voice got shakier, and Marco could tell she was crying. He sat up instantly, concerned.

"Janna, what's going on?" Marco asked her. There was a sniffle. On the other end.

" _Can you just...You have to know that...I like you. Marco._ " She said. Marco froze. Something was definitely wrong. " _I have liked you since the second grade. I just...never told you._ "

"Janna, can you please tell me what's going on?" He asked once more. There was a moment of silence.

" _Tell Jackie I'm sorry. And give Star my...best._ " She said, getting quieter.

"Janna? Janna, where are you?" He asked.

" _By the...theater...I just...wanted to say goodbye...before..._ " She never finished.

"Janna? Janna?!" He said. No answer. he took matters into his own and hands and rushed out the window, sneaking back out of his house when he had took so much time to sneak in. After activating his power, he ran to the theater, determined to figure out what was going on.

As he ran, he felt an impending sense of doom. He just chose to ignore it. He shouldn't have.

When he got to the theater, he saw no sign of Janna. And he looked hard. Maybe this was all just a prank. Maybe this was just some...

He saw a body, laying against the side of the theater. Motionless, phone in hand...sitting in a pool of blood. He stepped closer slowly, his mind in a state of shock. As he stepped closer, he saw her eyes. The stayed open, staring into the nothingness. He had never seen death before, but he convinced himself that this wasn't it. Somehow, deep in his heart, he already knew what it was. Maybe he just didn't want to.

He had been broken. He fell to his knees, tears stinging his eyes over a girl he could barely stand. He hadn't been fast enough, hadn't caught on early enough to save her. if he had noticed it and acted sooner, maybe she would...

Why did she die? That's the most confusing thing about death. Not knowing why people are suddenly ripped away, leaving the living to feel horrible, responsible. He just sat there, for the longest time, and all he could do was stare at the body of his former classmate. She wasn't really anything anymore. After he had his moment to recover, he simply stood up and dialed 9-1-1.

" _Hello, 9-1-1, what's your emergency?_ "

"Um...there's...there's a girl...she, uh...she's...dead." He said. The words had a ring of finality to it. He could've almost laughed at the irony of his situation.

" _Sir, could you tell me what happened?_ " She said.

"I don't...I don't know...I just came and...found her here..." He said, still stunned from the body next to him. If it wasn't the sight of me that horrified him...it was my smell. The smell of death.

" _Sir, stay where you are. A unit is on the way. Now you need to tell me what happened..._ " The voice droned out, Marco had dropped his phone. He walked slowly over to the other building adjacent to the theater and rest his back on the wall of the alley, sliding down so that he was in a sitting position, the same as Janna.

It was her eyes. Those cow brown eyes that he realized had made her look somewhat attractive. Now they were empty, cold, dark. No life, just emptiness and unrest. She was gone. His mind accepted that. His heart felt that.

And only then did he let his tears flow out, in the memory of someone he never really knew.

In his mind, he said goodbye, but he couldn't get the words out. He buried his head in his arms, letting the tears fall down into his sleeve.

Death let her watch him for a little bit before he took her. Maybe it would have been better for her. She cried for him, and kissed his head with her ghostly lips. But Death still had to take her. He carried her in his hands, just like he did with all the children, and sent her into the eternal. But he went back to Marco Diaz's side.

Death was still next to him. At least once more that night. And three times more in the future.

* * *

It was Ichelx. That simple. It was a heart failure. She had died a little after Janna, according to Chelsea. She didn't sound the least bit sad about it. It was almost like she was happy that Ichelx was gone. She might have very well been. He never thought he would feel like this around death. So...empty inside. Not sad, not happy, just nothing. Numb. He was a shell. Which, at the moment, he guessed he should've been thankful for that. It meant he wouldn't have to hurt over the death of his friend and his stalker. But, for some reason, he knew that he would still hurt.

According to his parents, later on, when they met him at the hospital, he just kept mumbling things about "not saving" and "my fault."

Marco didn't cry. His heart was stone, cold. He was too numb to really process this fact. He had remained empty. Even as he told Janna's parents a story of how he stumbled upon the lifeless body of Janna, not telling anyone why he was stumbling in an alley in the middle of the night.

The hardest part was watching them cry. The parents of both the dead children. The Superior did not sob, as Janna's parents had, but instead, kept it to herself, and most likely cried silently later.

Only when he was alone did he allow his tears to come out. And they came out strong. Only then did it sink in the harsh reality of it all. Two people were dead. He had let one die. The other had been somewhat of his friend. To him, the world came crashing down around him.

And then he cried.

* * *

(Star's POV)

It was kind of embarrassing for Star to talk about. Somewhat because she hadn't been this vulnerable in...ever. Not since Marco had been put in the coma, in the hospital. By her.

She had confessed to him when she realized what her feelings were. But Marco...he was a little but...actually, Star didn't know how to explain his behavior that day.

* * *

(Before the explosion)

* * *

"Marco...it's..." She let go of his hand and walked away, holding her face in her palms. "It's just so confusing."

"Star, what's going on?" He asked, still unsure what that light show was before. "And what's with this thing?" He said, gesturing to the pool.

"I...I didn't want it to be true...I just...I thought it might say that..." She couldn't find a way to put all her feelings into words.

"Star, you weirding me out. I just want to go home and rest, I've been really stressed out lately, I just can't handle any more weirdness right now." He said. Star looked at him, tears in her eyes. She was...she was in love with him?

Why? Of all people, why did it have to be him?

Star walked closer to him, and he seemed to notice the tears in her eyes.

"Star? what's wrong?" He asked.

"Why? Why did it have to be you?" She said, in almost a whisper. Marco's face took on a quizzical look. "This...it doesn't make any sense. I can't..."

"Star, what happened? What did you do?" He asked, suddenly afraid.

"I can't...I shouldn't... _feel_ this way towards you." She said. Marco's jaw dropped, his eyes widened. Star held her hands on her temple, as if she had a head ache. "This isn't how I'm supposed to be. Not...not with you." She said. She didn't realize, because she was so in shock, that she had just admitted aloud she had gained unwanted feelings towards Marco. She wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. Marco wasn't sure what to make of what he had heard. Star turned away, walking back and forth, trying to wrap her mind around all of this.

The pool of k'aatech was supposed to tell you if you were in love with someone, and if that other person felt the same. But there was no way that she could feel like that towards Marco. But, she did. The pool was fool proof, the guaranteed way to tell love. But...why? Why did she fall in love with Marco? Why didn't she know it?

"...Star?" Marco said. She looked at a stunned Marco, and realized that must be even more confusing than she took it. He might not have even realized his feelings about her yet. She couldn't risk their friendship. But then, she remembered what she had said to him, and covered her face. She had just basically admitted to him she was in love with her, without even realizing it.

"Marco, it's just..." She said. "I can't...do this." She said. Not right now. She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready. She wasn't sure if she would ever be.

"Uh, Star!" He said a little more forcefully, fear evident in his voice. Star removed her hands and looked past him to see...

Monsters. But there was no Ludo, and no Toffee. Just the monsters, with the exception of Buff Frog, and no leader. They must have been scattered after the castle was destroyed.

"How did you find us?" She asked. There was no answer.

Unless you count a chorus of "get them," an answer. They all rushed, and since Marco was the closest, he was their first target. He jumped out of the way of three monsters, karate chopping one of them to the ground. Star used her wand to blast two others, but that wasn't all of them.

There was endless throws of punches and wand blasts. These guys seemed to have gotten better at fighting. Star rolled out of the way as a massive spike flew over her head. She jumped and landed a kick to the monsters stomach, before having to jump as an egg almost knocked her off her feet, hitting the ground where she was standing. She shot a rainbow into the sky and knocked the chicken to the ground, but had to dodge yet another enemy.

Was it just her or have these things gotten better at fighting?

Star did a syrup blast, but there were so many that it didn't take care of the ones that Marco was fighting. Star aimed her wand, but they were moving around so quickly that Star was afraid to shoot because she might hit Marco.

She kept adjusting her aim, trying to make sure that she wouldn't hit Marco, but he kept popping up in new and unexpected places.

Suddenly, Star saw a monster of notable size fly towards the pool. Star panicked. No! That pool was sacred, if that monster landed in it, it would be disastrous.

"Ice monster freeze!" She said, a spell used to make things freeze in mid air.

But something went wrong. Her wand, it buzzed with a strange blue electricity, and then the spell shot out. But it missed the monster.

Instead, it shot and hit the pool. Star froze, filled with fear. The monster landed just besides the pool, no where close to hitting it. Star wondered why she had thought the monster was going to hit the pool, and more so why the magic had changed course, _by itself_ , towards the pool.

After a second of heavy silence on her part, Marco still fighting the monsters behind her. Star thought that it might be fine, that she had just thought she had seen the magic hit the pool.

Then suddenly, there was a bright red explosion. Star was knocked back, along with everyone else, and blinded temporarily.

Her vision came to a blurred scene, and then she could see what appeared to be a black hole in the ground, completely black. No stars like a regular black hole, just dark.

Star stood up, realizing she had to get out of here. The Time Dimension was impervious to black holes. She, however, was not. She turned to when she saw Marco sliding past her towards the black hole. Acting on instinct, she grabbed him, as he was dangling just on the edge of being sucked into it.

"Marco!" She screamed, waking him up. He looked around, seemed to notice what was going on, and grabbed Star's arm with both his hands. "I got you!" She yelled.

She had her wand in her hand, and she knew she had to cast a spell. But that meant she had to let one hand go long enough to cast the spell, and she only had a limited amount of time to do so.

"Star!" Marco yelled over the noise of the black hole trying to suck him in. "Whatever happens, I just want you to know that...I really enjoyed everything we did together!"

Star stared at him, at his kind warm smile, and realized that the pool...it had been right.

"Marco! I..." She said, but somehow couldn't finish.

"Star, I..." He said, and star's hopes were raised. "...I..." His head started rolling, and Star realized that he was going unconscious. Star knew she had to do something and fast.

She braced herself and quickly let go and aimed her wand at an angle, shooting them out of the black hole. There was a sudden...something, that had happened with the magic when it touched the black hole. But it had made another explosion, with Star caught only a few feet from it, but it had consumed Marco's near entire body. Star flew high and far, eventually landing in some mud.

Her head hit the ground hard, somewhat scrambling her mind. She sat up, and saw Marco, his eyes have shuttered, his head lolling, a trail of blood from his forehead.

"Marco!" She said, scrambling on her hands and knees to him. "Marco, are you all right?!'

"...Star...I..." He said, barely talking.

"Marco, hold on, I'm heal you real quick." She said. She reached to her wand and attempted to do her healing spell.

It wasn't working. Star looked at her wand, and tried again, but it still wasn't working.

"Star...I...I'll...miss you..." He said. "...You're...the best...thing...in...my life..."

"Marco, come on, stay with me." She said. His head fell to the side and his eyes closed. In Star's mind, he had also stopped breathing.

"Marco? Marco?! MARCO?!" She started freaking out. She opened a portal and took him through. "Come on Marco, please stay with me."

* * *

((Star's POV) present)

Star sat in the Draconian Great Hall, staring sadly at her glass, Kalahari staring shocked at her.

"...I...I had no idea." Kalahari said.

"It's fine." Star said, looking up and smiling at him in an unconvincing way. "It's in the past." She said. She looked back down at her glass staring at her reflection. "...It's in the past."

She said, more to herself than to him, as if to convince herself that it was true.


	14. Kalahari's dad

(Marco's POV)

Marco sat in the supply closet of the Complex, hiding from everyone, backed against the wall. The others didn't know he was here yet, and he wanted sometime to himself. He thought about Ichelx's heart attack. She was dead, but something...something didn't feel right about it. She wasn't the right age to die of a heart attack. And even if she was, he knew Ichelx better than that, even though he knew very little about her. She wasn't one to give up without a fight, even against herself.

Right?

So what happened? Why did she die? All these questions, no answers. It ate away at him, always munching on the back of his mind. He wanted it to stop. It had gotten unbearable in the last few days, and it was only getting worse. There didn't seem to be any stopping it, not any time soon. He didn't know why it wouldn't go away.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He didn't answer.

"Marco?" It was Chelsea. He still didn't answer. "Marco, I know you're in there."

"Go away." He said quietly.

"Marco, please let me in?" She asked.

Marco didn't want to, but he couldn't stand to be alone. So he stood up and unlocked the closet door, and went back into his corner. The door opened slowly, light filling the room at a slow pace. It closed, and Marco could feel that Chelsea was there. But he didn't look at her. He didn't speak to her. He just sat there, staring at the ground through the darkness. She stood there in silence for a minute, not speaking. Marco wasn't sure if he really wanted her to.

"Marco, please talk to me." She said, breaking the silence.

"...I don't have anything to say." He answered.

"You can't keep going on hating me like this."

"I don't hate you." He spoke in a strangely clam voice, almost like a robot. The only thing that betrayed his emotion was the whisper his voice came out in.

"Then stop hating yourself. There's nothing you could've done, Marco." She told him. But he didn't believe her. There's always something you could do.

"I could've faster. I could've helped her." He said. Not to her, but to himself, as if dealing out punish.

"Marco, the more you say it doesn't make it true. There's nothing you could have done." Marco didn't answer. He just stared straight at the ground ahead, not saying a word. Chelsea walked over to him and sat on the ground next to him. She didn't say anything, she just sat there, not moving. As if just being there would make him better. She had no idea what was going on his head. Then again, neither did he. He was just as confused as anyone in this place. He wanted to be stronger, to stop hurting. But he wasn't. And he would feel like this forever, never the same again. He guessed he would just have to accept it.

But he didn't want to. He didn't want them to be dead, he didn't want himself to feel like this. This emptiness that they left. The one he didn't know and the one he didn't like. It was kind of ironic, that those two people would be the ones he missed more than anything. That was how life worked.

"Why?" He asked. It was one word, but it had so many meanings. Why did they have to die? Why did he feel like this? Why was the world so cruel?

"...I don't know." Was all Chelsea said.

So they just sat there side by side, not saying anything. Marco looked up at the ceiling, leaning his head back. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to silence that munching at the back of his mind. But it was still there. He sighed and stood up.

"I have to go home. See you later." He walked out, not paying attention to her standing up behind him. He made his way through the hallways, and found himself...stoic. It was strange. Just a few moment ago, he was an emotional mess. Now, it was like he was a robot. Maybe he was just preparing himself for the outside. Chelsea quickly caught up with him.

"Marco, wait!" She said, grabbing his arm. He turned and looked at her. "...Just...if you want to talk, just call me. All right?"

"Of course. You're the first person I'll go to." He said. She smiled at him, but she couldn't hide the pity in her eyes. He thought about the happiness that used to be there, the enjoyment of everything. Her silly nature when they first met. She sure had matured since then. But then, he thought about himself. He had changed just as much as her, if not more. He wasn't as worried about things now, but he was sure as hell more depressed. But as he looked at Chelsea, he found something worth fighting for. A friend, a teammate, a partner. And he sure as hell wasn't going to leave, make her feel like he did when Ilchex...

He forgot about the Superior. She was Ichelx's mother. How must she be feeling right now? it seemed kind of jerk-ish, to not console a mother when her daughter just died. He could only imagine how his parents would feel.

No parent should see their child die. But she was right in the room as Ichelx lost her life.

"We should go see the Superior." Marco said. Chelsea sighed and nodded, her sadness reaching across her face.

"I can't even imagine what she's going through." She said. Marco nodded.

"I'll just make some excuse about working late, or something." He said. Chelsea looked at him strangely.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, you've been spending so much time here, your parents might...get lonely, or...something." She said.

"You trying to get rid of me?" He said, in the most teasing voice he could manage. She smiled, and this time, there was real happiness on her face.

"There is a lot of things I want to do, Diaz, and none of them involve you being gone." She said, smirking. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"That seems highly suggestive." He said in a mocking tone. Chelsea blushed wildly, and Marco realized that what she had said was more than just a tease He blushed, suddenly incredibly embarrassed. Before he could say anything else, though, the Superior's voice come over the intercom.

 _"ALL PERSONEL ARE ORDERED TO ACT ON TEMPORARY LEAVE. PLEASE EXIT AS SOON POSSIBLE."_

Marco and Chelsea looked at the speaker from where the Superior's voice came, looking confused.

"'Temporary leave?' what does that mean?" Marco asked.

"I think it means we're fired until she says we can come back to work. She must be taking this harder than I thought." She said, sadness taking back over her face. Marco looked to the speaker, worry taking over his features.

"Should we go check on her?" Marco said. Chelsea sighed, closing her eyes as if to deal with all the stress.

"We can't. Don't work here anymore. If we don't leave right now, then we could get arrested, or worse." She said, walking towards the door. "I just can't imagine what is going through her head right now." Marco shrugged. Maybe she was feeling like they did, but he doubted it. She probably felt worse.

"Maybe she just wants to be alone." He reasoned, looking at the speaker as he walked to the front door. "She's probably taking this worse than any one of us."

"Yeah, I would think so." She said.

Marco and Chelsea walked out the door into the burning light of the sun. Marco shielded his eyes from the bright rays, squinting as he was trying to get used to the lighting. Chelsea stood next to him, not talking for a moment.

"Marco?" She asked. He looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Are you still going to leave?" She said, looking at him. For a second, he didn't have an answer.

"I don't belong here, Chelsea. All this...it's too much for me." _Even more than with Star, and I don't even know what I'm fighting._

"Don't you want to make a difference? Help people? Protect them?"

"Protect them from what? How can I stop something when I have no idea what it is? What am I fighting for?" He asked.

"Just being there isn't enough?" She asked.

"You can't protect someone from something that doesn't exist." He said.

"Tom existed. Remember what happened to the mall?"

"I caused that explosion, remember? I don't know how or why, but I did. All those lives in danger were my fault. Heck, he wouldn't have even been there in the first place if it wasn't for me. And tell me, besides Tom, what exactly have we fought? Nothing I have done has helped anybody." He had gotten angrier. But not at Chelsea.

At himself.

"...You don't know that." She said quietly.

"Yes I do. And as long as I'm here, there'll be more damage than good done." He said. They stood there in silence for a minute, Chelsea staring at the ground.

"I don't want you to go." She said, so low that he almost couldn't hear her.

"Then tell me. What am I fighting? What's going on? What is with all the secrecy?" He asked. She didn't answer, just kept staring at the ground. Marco couldn't believe it. She would rather him leave for good than tell him a shred of information. Maybe they weren't that good of friends after all. Maybe they weren't friends to begin with. He turned to walk away, but Chelsea grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Don't go." She said. Marco turned to her, and this time she was looking at him, tears present in her eyes. She was crying. "I can't go one without you. You're the only one I have left. If you go..." She didn't even finish, but Marco could guess what she was about to sya. She suddenly wrapped him in a hug, crying hard. "...Don't go...don't go..."

"Then tell me. Please." He asked. "What are we fighting?"

He thought she wasn't going to answer. He thought she was going to let go of him and run off. But she didn't. She told him.

"...you."

* * *

Marco walked into the living room, greeted by the sight of his mom and dad on the couch. They hadn't seen him yet. He tired to sneak past them, tip-toeing towards the stairs. Only a few more feet, and-

"Marco?" His mom said.

 _Crap_.

"Hi, mom. Hi, dad." He said, walking around the couch towards them. They stood up to face.

"Marco, are you all right?" She asked.

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Why wasn't he. A few minutes ago, he was ready to start the waterfalls, yet all of a sudden, he's completely fine. What was wrong with him?

"It's just...with everything that's happened, we just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine." He said again. And he said it calmly, too. What was up with him?

"Are you sure, _hijo_? You've been acting strange lately, we're just...we're worried about you." His dad said, looking him straight in the eye. Marco looked back at him, his face a stone.

"I'm all right, dada, I promise. I'm just a little tired, that's all." He said. His dad's face took on a quizzical look.

"Marco, it's the middle of the day."

"It's been chaotic at work. Everyone's been acting strange ever since...you know." He said, sighing. "I just want this day to end."

"Well, all right, _hijo_. Just remember, me and your mom will be right here if you want to talk." He said, putting one arm around his wife and smiling at Marco nervously. Marco gave a smile back, but he had the feeling that it was empty. as he walked upstairs, he heard his parents call after him:

"And don't forget, you have school tomorrow!" His mom said. Great. A day no doubtedly full of piteous looks and strange stares. Oh, how he was looking forward to tomorrow.

As he entered his room, he collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wondered what might be going on in Star's universe. But it wasn't like he was going to find out any time soon.

* * *

Marco was at the school bus. Instead of walking back and forth waiting for it to come, or looking at his watch nervously to make sure it wasn't late, he just stood there still, waiting for the vehicle to appear. He stood by the stop sign, staring at the empty space in front of him, and just patiently waited for the bus to appear, not moving, barely breathing. He heard the rolling of wheels on concrete approach, but he didn't react to it.

He just looked ahead.

He prayed silently that she wouldn't say anything, just leave him alone. He was done with all the sympathy. There was silence for a moment, and for a second he was relieved that she was going to leave him alone.

"Hey, Marco." Jackie said. _Oh, come on, universe. Why me?_

"Hi, Jackie." He said, never looking at her.

"...I heard about what happened." Well, no duh. Everyone did. "I just wanted to say that I know how you feel."

"How so?" He asked.

"...She was my friend, too, Marco. And I know how that you feel horrible, especially after seeing...it all." She said. Marco didn't look at her, but he could hear the strangeness in her voice. Jackie definitely didn't want to talk to him, but maybe her mom or something told her to.

"I feel horrible because I couldn't help her." He said.

"Marco, what are you talking about? You found her like that, there was nothing you could have done." Marco had to smile at that. Granted it was a sad smile, and is was gone as soon as it had come.

"Is that what they told you?" He asked. No wonder the press would lie about something like that. In a case with no suspects, he would immediately become the prime suspect in the eyes of everyone in Echo Creek.

"...What are you talking about?" She asked.

"The night it happened, she called me, just seconds before she was hurt. When I heard how scared she was, I tried to go to her. But by I got there, she was bleeding out...I couldn't help her." Without looking at her, he could just tell what the look on her face was. "If I had been just a few seconds faster, I could've saved her. But...I couldn't."

Marco looked at Jackie, who was wide and teary eyed. She had a look of total shock on her face. He didn't know what was going through her mind right now, but he didn't care. He had to tell her.

"Before she died, she told me to tell you that she was sorry." That seemed to break Jackie, who stumbled, covering her mouth with one hand. Tears feel out of her eyes quickly, like a waterfall. She fell to the her knees. They must have looked like they were having the most bizarre conversation to a random onlooker, but he knew what was going on. the problem was, he didn't know what to tell her now. But he had done the right thing.

Didn't he?

Was it better to live in ignorant bliss or knowing misery? Given the choice...Marco would rather be miserable.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star was in her room, setting misplaced books down on her nightstand. She looked back at the dinner party. The reveal of how Marco and Star had revealed their feelings for each other was sad, and had made the entire party just plain awkward for her. It was even sadder when you took into account that Marco had lost his memory. So not only did he not remember saying his feelings, he probably no longer had them. But they were still there, right? They had to be? It couldn't be just her. She looked at the book in her hand, a book on lost treasures, and thought about her own lost treasure, one that would always be out of reach. Of course, as she was reminiscing about the past, her mother chose that exact same time to appear, in the for of a knock on the door.

"Star?" She asked. Star looked up and broke out of her state, looking at the door.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Kalahari is waiting for you downstairs with his father." She said. She immediately went from happy to annoyed. The guy that had basically ruined the lives of Kalahari and herself. Great, she couldn't wait to meet him. How obnoxious was he going to be? Probably a lot.

"I'll be down in a minute, I just have to get changed." She said She hadn't changed out of her dress. When she arrived home, she was so exhausted from all the dancing and music and food, that she just fell down on her bed and went to sleep. She grabbed a few things from her wardrobe that her mother would find "princess-appropriate," and used her wand to quickly change into them.

She studied herself in the mirror, the purple and pink dress so different from the colors she usually wore. And to be honest, she found it relieving. She turned to her sides to study the dress, it's silky patterns snaking across in random and elegant patterns of sparkling silver. The different parts of her dress in different shades of the colors, complementing everything perfectly. Her bottom of her dress was purple, but the upper part seemed to be solid pink, and a ribbon tied on her waist and under her breast of a darker purple than the rest of her dress. She was satisfied that this would be all right, and she opened the door and faced her mother.

"You look lovely, Star." She said, smiling. But she quickly pinched her nose, as if to keep it shut. "But could you please out on some incense. You must smell the part as well, you know."

"Yes, mother."

* * *

Star slowly made her downstairs, and braced herself to whatever ignorant and idiotic things came out of these strange man's mouth.

She was right, of course, just in the wrong way.

When she entered the grand hall, the first thing she noticed was Kalahari, standing in what appeared to be one of his best suits. But what surprised her was what appeared to be an old, senile man next to him. He was in a chair, hunched over and staring at the ground, in a sad, but somehow also blank look, as if he was seeing something that the rest of them couldn't. He had what appeared to be proper kingly attire, but his shoulder's were covered with a thick blanket. His hair was grey and white, scraggly and appeared unwashed. She stopped and looked at this strange old man in shock, but quickly made her way down to Kalahari.

Kalahari turned to her and smiled, placing a hand on the shoulder of the man next to him, who must have been sitting at his waist height.

"Star, this is my father." He said. She blinked, both uncomfortable and shocked. She turned to the obviously unhealthy man and help her hand out, trying to be polite.

"Good morning, your Majesty." She said. The old man looked up at her and smiled, the smile somehow seeming fake on his face, reaching up and grabbing her hand in a surprisingly firm handshake.

"Hello, dear. I'm glad to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from my son here." He said, his voice sounding surprisingly like Kalahari's. For some reason, his statement caused her to blush, but she didn't know why. It was just Kalahari.

"I'm sure you have. Have this castle to your liking?" She asked. She understood it was curtesy, but she didn't really want this man's approval on her home.

"The lights of Draconia are surely bright and beautiful. But this calm, quite place is surely more enjoyable than the constant excitement of my work. I would much rather be here than my home. Especially in my...current condition." He said, but despite the full weight of his words, he smiled like it was nothing. But this smile, too, seemed fake. "I wonder, though, what does an adventure filled girl like yourself do to keep sane in this quiet place."

"I don't always stay here, your Highness." She said. "You're right, it would become a little too unbearable for me."

"I do understand. See, I myself was quite the adventurer when I was younger." He said, looking at Kalahari. "Dear boy, could you fetch one of the servants to grab me my medicine." Kalahari nodded, and walked off to find one of the servants. Star looked to the King of Draconia, suddenly very interested in his stories. "I remember y first adventure like it was yesterday. Oh, how I miss it, you know, being so free and wild, not a care in the world. I could never see past my next little project. I was exploring the caves of a forbidden kingdom, and I stumbled upon something that changed my life forever. But for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was. Quite a dilemma, isn't it? All I can tell is that I loved it. A piece of advice, dear, try to enjoy this life as much as possible...while it lasts."

Star was confused by this man's babbling, but the last thing he said made her a bit nervous. She had almost gathered the courage to ask what he was talking about, when Kalahari came back into the room with a couple of servants, carrying different types of herbs and medicines. The King made a repulsed face.

"Oh, dear boy, you know that I can't stand those herbs. They make me dizzy." He said.

"Yes, I know your extremely strong feelings on this, father, but this is for your own good." He said, as the nurses started to mix the medicines and herbs into strange metal bottles. Star wondered what was wrong with Kalahari's dad. Maybe some terminal illness, or a mental problem. Kalahari turned to Star, smiling.

"All right. Where are we heading to today?" Kalahari asked. Star looked at him, confused.

"But, your dad just got here. Shouldn't I just show him around, at least." She asked. Kalahari shook his head.

"Your mom said she was going to do that, and the servants can take care if him. Meanwhile, I want to see what you have in store for me." He said. Star blinked.

"Oh...well, I didn't actually have anything planned today. I thought it was just going to be all proper introductions and other royal stuff." She said, shrugging. Kalahari rolled his eyes in a teasing way.

"Well, then, maybe I should meet some of your friends, then." He said. Star touched her forearm nervously.

"I don't know, I have a lot of friends." She said. But the truth was, she was uncomfortable with how accepting she was in this whole "arranged marriage" thing. She had a feeling that, if he met her friends, it would be like agreeing to it. And she didn't want to do that.

"Come one, it'll be fun." he said. He smiled so calmly, Star almost believed him. "I promise that I won't read their minds."

"...Well...I don't know..." She said.

"Come on." He said, putting his hands out in a gesture that matched his exclamation. "What's the worse that can happen?"


	15. The twist

_**This entire chapter is just from Marco's point of view. Next chapter will be Star.**_

* * *

"Hey, Marco, I've got something cool to show you." Ferguson said, trying to catch up with Marco as he walked down the hall.

"No, you don't. You just want to see what happened with Star." he said. But it wasn't with any spite. It was emotionless, robotic almost.

"Man, we're worried about you, too." Alfonzo said, appearing on the opposite side of Marco that Ferguson was on. "True, no one knows what happened to her or where she went except you, but still. We're your friends, and Ferguson has this cool belly-face to show you."

"No thanks." He said, walking further. Something about this building made him uncomfortable suddenly. He didn't know what, he never had a problem with this before. Maybe it was just something going on with him. Ferguson and Alfonzo noticed something, too, and it appeared to worry them.

"You all right man?" Ferguson asked.

"Yeah. you seem...different." Alfonzo said, squinting, as if that would get him a better look at him.

"I'm all right." He said, turning into his classroom. Alfonzo and Ferguson stood outside, thinking about what was up with him. "Just a little bored."

Marco sat in the classroom, and found the familiar, safe environment completely boring. He was bored before, but that was nothing compared to this. He often tapped his foot on the floor, or his finger on the top of his desk, but he was just looking at the clock, waiting for the final bell to ring. When it did he would be the first one out of there.

He noticed how the other students were staring at him, waiting for him to raise his hands for the answers. But he didn't. They seemed beyond surprised to see that he was the one who wanted to get out the most. It was a new happening, and they didn't like it. Whenever the teacher got tired of waiting for him, she would just call on a random person. If she called on him, he would answer with a quick but correct reply, and continue looking at the clock. Right now it read just thirty more seconds. He couldn't have been more relieved that school was almost over. The other kids saw this and became increasingly more suspicious of his behavior. " _What was he up to?_ " he could just hear the thought radiate from them, they did nothing to hid it. Actually, he was up to nothing, he just couldn't stand this place anymore. Like they could. Were they really that shocked with him changing that much? To him, it wasn't that big of a deal. Maybe to them, sure. The Safe Kid stops being the Safe Kid, it's just a matter of time until they stop being what they are. They're afraid of changing.

Marco wasn't afraid of changing, because he had already changed. You can't be afraid of something that had already happened. But everything that had happened in the last two weeks and...three days, by Marco's count, was sure a hell of a lot considering the time it happened in. And he really didn't want to dwell on the past, but it wasn't going away any time soon.

Just then the bell rang, and before anyone could even stand up, he was out the door, heading to his locker. _Finally_ , he thought to himself. He quickly packed his bag and made his way to the buses, but was stopped by a certain skater girl.

"Hey, Marco!" Jackie said, speaking with her signature lazy Californian accent, trying to catch up with him on her skateboard. "Wait up!" She said. He stopped and turned to look at her just as she halted to a stop next to him.

"What's up, Jackie?" He asked. It was strange how he could talk so easily to her now, but struggled just two months ago. Marco looked back on those two months. A lot has happened, but not so much that it made two months seem like a long time.

"...I thought I should let you know, about...what was going on between me and Janna." She said, picking up her skateboard. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Why? It's not like we were the closest of friends." He said. He noticed Jackie flinch when he said that, and was suddenly interested in what this girl had to say. She was silent for a moment, before speaking again.

"...Janna...kind of had...a crush on you." She said. Marco blinked.

"Wha-...on _me_?" He asked, unbelieving. She nodded, but he still wasn't convinced. "...Are...you sure? You sure it wasn't just something she told you."

"Yes, I'm sure." She said, with a roll of her eyes, but became somber quickly. "...she was the one who always wanted you, since about...second grade, I think."

"...That wouldn't have anything to do with you taking off that one day, would it?" He said, putting two and two together in his head.

"Yeah. She wanted to go with the dance with you more than anything, but when I tried to ask for her, it came out all wrong." She said. He slowly nodded.

"That makes sense...I guess." He said.

"And when I told her what happened, we got into a big argument, and...stuff happened. We didn't talk until..." She didn't need to finish.

"So that's what Janna meant when she said 'I'm sorry,' huh?" He asked. She nodded.

"...You know...out of everyone in the world, I'm...kind of glad you were the last thing she got to see." She said. Marco immediately felt guilty.

"...I couldn't help her." He said, causing her to look at him strangely. "I was right there, but I couldn't save her." He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. She didn't say anything. Maybe it was because she didn't know what to say. Maybe she knew she probably shouldn't say anything.

* * *

Marco sat on the bus seat, looking quietly out the window as the bus continued on it's way. Instead of being by himself, Jackie sat next to him. It was almost relieving to be with someone, but he still felt like being somewhat by himself. But that was to be expected, given everything he had went through. He still felt a little weird about what had happened between them, but he understood why she had acted the way she did. But it was still a bit awkward to sit near her. Silence covered like a thick blanket, and Marco found it unbearable to sit in it, but also to speak. Fortunately, for him, Jackie spoke first.

"So, how is Star?" She asked. Marco looked at her confused.

"What?" He asked.

"Star? You know, Your best friend? How is she?" Jackie asked.

"Oh, right. I, uh...I think she's all right." He said.

"What? What do you mean you think?" She said, turning fully towards him. He shrugged.

"We haven't really talked in a while." He said.

"What do you mean." She asked. "I know she left and all, but you two _were_ best friends. I thought that you'd, like, keep in touch or something." She had a point. He'd wished that was the way things had gone.

"I mean, she came back to visit once, but besides that, I haven't heard from her at all. I guess something big must be up with her, but...I don't know." He crossed his arms, staring at the back of the seat in front of him, as if there were hidden words that could solve all of his problems.

"...Jeez. You have more problems than I realize." She said. "Want to talk about it?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Things happen. It's just a part of the world." He said. He didn't like to complain, ironically. And there were people out there with bigger poblems than his own. It would feel kind of selfish if he just started to complain, despite how tame his problems actually seemed. These were just how things worked out. And he couldn't see how things could get much worse.

"That seems like a sucky way of looking at things." She said. He smiled sadly, still not looking at her.

"Yeah. It is, isn't it?" He said, as if it was an inside joke.

Suddenly there was a sudden stop that sent the two flying forward, hitting the seat in front of them. Marco's head buzzed, hurting from the impact. His vision went blank and fuzzy, and he waited for it to clear, just groaning as he waited for nature to take its course. He looked over to Jackie, who appeared unconscious next to him, lumped lazily on the seat. He looked around. It was obvious that the bus had come to an abrupt stop, but he didn't know why. He shook Jackie, and she was unresponsive, not even making a single sound. He felt fear rise up and clutch his heart. He put a finger on her neck, and found she had a pulse. He sighed a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. She was alive. He then looked around, craning his neck to see what had happened in front of them.

"What the hell was that?" He asked needlessly, because somehow, everyone was somehow unconscious except for him. He looked around for a sign, any sign, of someone being awake.

Suddenly, their was a rush of wind, and a flash of blue lightning. Marco flinched at the sudden sensations, covering his face with his forearm. He felt a shockwave, small but present, rush through him, vibrating through his body. Jackie's unconscious body moved, but perhaps that was the shockwave that Marco felt. Marco looked around, up and down the bus isle, and then outside of the window, but couldn't see where the wind and light had come from.

"Hello, Diaz." A voice said. It was distorted, in an almost echo-y tone. He turned to the source of it, standing suddenly next to his seat. The figure stood up in a suit like his, in complete clad black, and what appeared to be a distorted animal face. It had the stature of a human, but Marco couldn't even call it a man. It seemed like a demon, one that was surely more terrifying than Tom. Marco didn't know hat it was, but something about this figure was terrifying. "Nice to see you again. Sorry about all this mess, but I couldn't have these humans interrupting our little chat. True, I didn't expect this to be the circumstances in which I revealed myself."

"...Who are you?" He asked slowly, his words having to be forced out through the fear.

"Oh, you know me, Marco. I'm hurt that you don't recognize me. It hasn't been that long, has it? I know it must have been at least a week since I killed that Janna girl. Maybe less, who's to tell." It said. Marco's eyes widened as a swirl of emotions rose up inside of him. This thing...killed Janna? Marco was delved further into confusion, anger, grief, and now, sudden hate when the figure said this. What they heck was it talking about? Marco definitely didn't remember this thing form anywhere. And he was sure as hell he wouldn't forget something like that. "Allow me to refresh your memory. Just recently, you were involved in an abduction. It was in fact quite messy, but nothing that couldn't be handled." It said.

Wait, it couldn't be talking about the time at Ludo's castle when he was abducted by...

"...You're Toffee?" He asked. The figure laughed it's horrific laugh.

"Oh, dear Marco..." It said, what resembled a laugh echoing through it's body. "...not even close." Marco was starting to get angry. Extremely angry. He remembered his powers, but he wanted answers. He had to control his anger, before it got the better of him.

"Then you're Ludo? Or one of his henchmen?" He said, starting to gather his energy to attack. Although this accusation seemed unlikely, there was really no other explanation. There was no one else he knew who could do something like this. Maybe it was an enemy of star's from another dimension?

"You're getting colder." It said in some sick impression of a sing-song voice. "I'm disappointed Marco. Come one. I know you're smarter than this. At least, you're supposed to be. So much potential, just locked away in that constantly dying human brain of yours." It said.

Marco had finally gathered enough energy, and activated his power. He sat up and swung a punch at the figure in the slow motion world around him he had finally gotten used to. But this time, something happened that had never happened before. The figure stopped his punch. The black arm raised up, and it's hand wrapped around his fist stopping it. Marco's eyes widened as he felt the inhuman strength nearly break his hand as the pressure increasingly got larger. He was forced to his knees by the figure. Confused and terrified, Marco realized he wasn't any match for this being. Just who the hell was this?

As the pain increased in his hand and now moved throughout his arms in random small patterns, like the strikes of darts, he found himself able to speak.

"...Who are you?" He asked through gritted teeth. The figure didn't answer for a long time, seeming to just study Marco. Finally, it moved it's left hand slowly up to it's head, as if it was about to scratch it's neck. To Marco's surprise it _reached under it's skin_. Wait, it wasn't skin. It pulled it up, like it was...a mask. He felt stupid, he should've recognized it. But, who was under it?

"You should've expected this, Diaz. It was so obvious, ever since the beginning. But you all are to _stupid_ to see how."

The figure pulled it up and off it's face. The distorted wolf came mask off, and the figure let it fall to the ground. But Marco wasn't looking at the mask. He was staring at the face of the figure that was holding him. He felt confusion and shock rise up inside of him, gripping his heart and mind. It wasn't a dopple-ganger. Even Ichelx wasn't exact when compared to Janna, so he knew this couldn't be a dopple-ganger. She smiled a wicked smile. Her teeth were even the same. He remembered his best friend's smile. That suit must have been made to hid everything about her, that's why he didn't recognize figure was...

Star.

She smiled wickedly, a dark look alien on her face.

"Hey, bestie."


	16. Irregulars

**Sorry for the late updates, but I had to take some time off to rethink the timeline.**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco was still in the kneeling position, Star's hand seeming to crush his fist. Marco gathered up all of his energy, but still couldn't seem to over power her. Instead, he tried a different approach, using his other fist to try and hit her stomach. He did, but was surprised to see that she showed no signs of pain, or even as if she felt it at all. Instead, she just, and pulled him up quickly. She then kicked his stomach. Hard.

He was sent flying back, and hit the back of the bus with enough force to dent the door. He fell to the ground on his knees, a small amount of blood coming out of his mouth. He groaned from the pain, but it wasn't too much for him to handle. He got up, but was quickly knocked down with a right punch to the temple. He fell to the ground, convincing himself that he wasn't finished yet.

Star then kicked him in the gut. He was forced back, but the back door of the bus didn't allow for any room to move. This time the pain did get to him, shooting through him like a bullet. He coughed up a mouth full of blood. His mind was buzzing from numbness. His eyesight started to falter, unable to fully see anything outside of his immediate focus, everything else seemed to fade out. She kicked him again, and it took all his power to stay awake and fight the pain, but time and time he found himself drifting from reality. Star leaned forward, so that he was directly staring at her. She smiled that wicked smile of hers.

"Night-night." She said. He saw her fist pull back, but he blacked out before he could see what happened next.

* * *

Marco woke up in a hospital bed. Again. God damn, this better not become a thing. He opened his eyes, and was greeted to blinding light and a splitting headache. Not to mention the constant aching in his stomach, legs, and right arm. He could barely blink without his cheek and forehead hurting. He couldn't help it as a groan of pain escaped from his lips.

"Oh, thank god." Someone said. He looked over to see Chelsea standing over him, a look of relief on her face. "Are you okay, Marco?" She asked. Marco nodded, tasting something metallic in his mouth, and his entire body ached.

"I feel like I just got plowed by a four ton truck." He said. Chelsea gave him a small smile.

"Glad your still intact." She said. Marco heard the door open, and looked over to see Mason walking in...dressed as a doctor. Of course.

"Hello, Diaz. I suspect you're feeling fine." He said, in a light and friendly tone, like a guidance counselor...or doctor. Marco shrugged.

"As fine as I can be." Marco answered. Which meant he felt like crap. He probably looked like crap right now, too. He wondered what had happened earlier, but he had a feeling that whatever it was, that they probably wouldn't tell them.

"That's good. I suggest you rest up, wait for your body to heal. In the meantime...some of the Superiors in Arc Angel have brought to our attention that it may be wise to share some important information to you." He said. The way his tone darkened gave Marco a sense of uneasiness. He was happy that they decided to finally share something with him. He considered it a step in the right direction. But the way they said it made it seem as if something big was going to happen. he looked at Chelsea. She was looking down at the ground, her face seemed like a sad one.

"Uh...is something wrong?" He asked. Mason shook his head.

"No, Marco, but nothing is necessarily good, either." He said. "I suppose you've heard about irregulars...multiple times, correct?"

"Yeah, you called Ichelx that. I was wondering what you were talking about." he said.

"...have you heard of the Copenhagen interpretation?" He asked. Marco gave him a blank look. "Also known as the many worlds interpretation?"

"I think so. Isn't it like...different dimensions or something like that." Isn't that what he and Star did? If so, he wasn't a stranger to it.

"Yes, and no. Not different dimension. Different universes." He said. "A dimension exists in the universe, or more specifically, this astral plane. The multi-verse, or the Ether, contain all the universe. There are infinite number of universes, that exist in relativity to each other, almost complete mirror images."

"...Uh, I have no comment on that." Marco said.

"I didn't think you would. Anyways, they most likely stated form the same period of time at the same moment in the same space. But at sometime or another, something changes in each one. Whether it was a small decision of one person or the largest change, cable of massive influence. Either way, something is different in any universe, in an infinite number of possibilities."

"That sounds...not completely crazy, I guess." He said. "So, infinite number of possibilities? So literally everything I can imagine could exist in some other universe."

"According to the theory, yes. There is a high possibility that even the most absurd idea exist somewhere else. Anything and everything." He said. Marco nodded. "Bet it isn't as simple as that. It also states that whenever a situation that has multiple outcomes is presented, a new parallel universe is created for each outcome. A new universe for each choice, the number of new universe always expanding."

"Well then, there are some dimensions I wouldn't mind avoiding." Marco said. "Where do irregulars come into this?" He asked.

"The dimension they exist in has some...very dark atmospheres. What's your deepest secret? The darkest side of you? What do you hide, and what do you wish to go away? Irregulars are the embodiment of everything that is in us that we don't want to be, that we hide, and that we hate about ourselves." He said. "They look like us, but are our opposites. Therefore, their entire existence relies on us. Illness, injury, death. If we get hurt here, they get hurt there. But it doesn't go the same way around." Marco was taken back by this. Ichelx was an irregular. Janna's irregular, apparently. She had hide her affection for him, and she _definitely_ didn't act as innocent as Ichelx did. Maybe Ichelx was like that because Janna didn't want to be seen as Ichelx was. He felt he'd learned more about Janna hanging out with Ichelx that he ever did when he spoke to Janna. He felt guilty he couldn't have done more for her. But there were some things you couldn't change.

"So...the girl that attacked me earlier...the one that looked like Star...?"

"Most likely her irregular." He said. "Do you understand everything that I've told you?"

"...Yeah, I think so...so the whole purpose of Arc Angel is to, what, fight the irregulars?" He asked.

"Whenever they become threats, and that goes for many other things. Arc Angel keeps the peace in between the universes. Ten years ago, a catastrophe in another universe almost destroyed it. After it was stopped, Arc Angel was formed to make sure the universes were kept safe." He said. "Only a few people outside of Arc Angel now about us, some of the higher royalty within the different universe that we have reached so far. Officially, we're a mercenary group, with no real political pull. But unofficially, we have more power than all the different kingdoms combined, in both political and army power. We only recruit the most able people so that we can stand up to nearly any threat. Of course, there are always some things that can match up to our soldiers, so we have to be on constant alert. messing up once can mean the death of an entire universe."

"...Jeez. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." Marco said. Mason shook his head.

"What occurred today only helped to prove that you're safest in Arc Angel. If you leave, there's no guarantee about your physical well-being, or the well-being of those around you." He said.

Marco took a moment to process everything that had happened. He wondered if this all was really true, or if it was just some kind of scheme to get him to go to Arch Angel with them. No matter what it was, Marco had this fear of being manipulated that always seemed to stay with him. Maybe his irregular was extremely paranoid because of him. Marco suddenly felt extreme guilt and sympathy for them. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have his entire well being and overall existence in the hands of a complete stranger. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, groaning in exasperation.

"Why does weird stuff always keep happening to _me_?" Marco thought aloud.

"You seem to have a knack for running into these things head first." Mason said. Marco chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess." He said. Then he groaned again, covering his face with the palms of his hands. "What am I going to tell my parents?" He said. Mason put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about that. Right now you need to rest. Just focus on getting better." He said. Marco nodded, and looked to Chelsea. She looked up, and had a small smile on her face. Marco returned it with his own. He thought for some reason that there might have been something more...scary hidden. Maybe scary wasn't the right word, but...something just more. This didn't seem like such a big secret. Was it just a trust thing? Either way, he guessed the problem was resolved. Maybe. He still had some trust issues, but maybe he would get over them in time.

Mason walked across the room, and was halfway out the door, when a question suddenly popped up in Marco's mind.

"Hey, Mason?" He asked. Mason turned around. "Why does Chelsea call you Earth-Shaker?" he asked. Mason smirked.

"Ask her. I have no idea." He said, and then walked out. Marco looked over to Chelsea. She shrugged.

"There's two reasons. One is something I saw him do with his power once, it made a small earthquake." She said. Marco nodded. Made sense.

"And the other reason?" He asked. She smiled creepily.

"We used to date." She said with a wink. Marco was confused for a second, until he suddenly realized what she meant.

"Oh...oh..." Made sense...in a perverted way. She waved her past comment off, bypassing it as if it was nothing. "That's all in the past. Oh, and you might want to try and extend your stay here for a while longer. When you get to Arch Angel, there's no doubt that Mason will work you to your bone in training. You can't always rely on your power. You're going to have to get stronger, and then they'll make some weapons for you." She said.

"That should be fun. Think I'll get a sword like yours?" He asked. Chelsea shrugged.

"Swords, knives, a stick of gum...your weapon depends on your power and skill set." She said.

"...Well, I have a green belt in karate." He said.

"Good, you can horse stance your enemy into defeat. Lovely." She said. Marco frowned.

"I'm not sure you-"

"Doesn't matter. Just get some rest, okay?" She said. Marco nodded. She sighed. "Man, I am going to be so bored all alone at the 'Complex.'" She said, looking at Marco, obviously a jab at his nickname for the compound. Marco pushed her lightly, which took some effort to pull off.

"Shut up." He said. She rolled her eyes, laughing at him.

"get some rest. Don't go dying on me, all right." She said, walking towards the exit.

"No promises."

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat in her room, making sure she was dressed as casually as possible. She was so nervous, she thought for a moment that there were _actual_ butterflies in her stomach. Somehow, with whatever power Kalahari had, he had convinced her to take him to Earth and meet her friends. She was extremely reluctant, and not completely comfortable with the idea. But, if they were going to be...married, at least they could get the weird stuff out of the way, Though, she could just imagine how this conversation would go with her friends:

" _Hey, guys. Remember me? Sorry for disappearing for a month, but hey, I'm back now. Oh, and meet my fiancé whom I haven't seen since childhood until a few weeks ago. Yeah, we're getting married. So, what's up with you?_ "

Yeah, that wasn't going to work. But maybe it was better to introduce a fiancé than a husband. Although she _detested_ the idea of marrying him, as wasn't anywhere near accepting it, she had to accept the possibility that she might end up marrying him. He had a group of lawyers trying to find any negotiable terms on the peace treaty, but it didn't look too good. And they were running out of time. Fast. Star faced the mirror at the end of her room.

"Okay, Star." She said to the reflection. "You've got this. No worries. It's not like it's a permanent thing. Everything will work out." She said. The reflection smiled back to her, and she was about to turn, when her reflection spoke:

" _No it won't_." It said. Star froze, while the reflection of her changed. It moved on it's own, like on a television, making it's through the mirror of her room, looking like it was...walking towards her. The reflections body changed, the casual clothes stretching, warping and darkening until it became a black suit of armor. Star stepped back away from it, as a wicked smile crossed it's... _her_ face.

"...What-" She started, but was cut off by the mirror images hand suddenly reaching through the glass and wrapping itself around her throat at an incredible speed. Star grabbed the hand, attempting to force it off, but found it was impossible. This... _thing_ from the mirror that looked like her, was too strong. First the hand was the only thing that reached out from the mirror. Then came the arm, and slowly, the hard and part of the chest, so that Star was staring into the eyes of something that looked just like her. And the smile...it should've been happy, but there was a menacing feeling behind it that turned it dark. The...other Star stepped out the rest of the way, until her entire body, clad in black smooth armor, was outside of the mirror, one hand wrapped around the throat of her counterpart. Star reached for her wand that was resting on her waist, but the figure grabbed it and tossed it aside. Star attempted to make a sound, but the figure held up her finger to her mouth.

" _Shhhhhh_..." She said. "Don't make too much noise. Someone might have to get hurt, and frankly, I'm not in the mood today." She said. Star stared at the figure with fear.

"..who...who are you?" She asked, a mix fear and force choking her throat. The girl smiled.

"Who do I look like?" She responded. Star thought she looked like her, exactly like her, but it couldn't be. Then suddenly, her face was covered...with the mask of a deformed wolf. This was the figure that attacked her when she went to Earth. "I'm your worst nightmare." She said, in that demonic voice. "Ask your daddy about Arch Angel. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear about me. Oh, and Star...you only have two weeks left. Better hurry, or your poor Marco will...well, let's just say I gave him a preview of what's to come."

Then she was gone. Just disappeared. She fell to the ground and gasped at the sudden non-construction around her throat. She knelt on the ground, holding herself up with one hand, the other holding her throat where it radiated with pain. There was a knock at the door.

" _Your highness, I heard a commotion. Are you alright_?" The servant, Collins, asked through the door. Star didn't answer for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

What was that figure? What did she want? Why did she look like her? She was so confused, she didn't know what to do. What did that girl know about her parents?

Star looked at the door, thinking about calling some guards. But for some reason, she didn't think it was a very good idea. She didn't know why, but she just had a feeling.

"..Collins, can you tell my parents to come here, please?" She said.

" _Of course, ma'am_." He said. She was so confused, but that girl knew her parents. They must know who she is. And she had a lot of questions.

But more importantly, she had mentioned Marco. Why was she so obsessed with him? What did she mean about Giving Marco a preview? Was she going to hurt him? She had to protect him, but she had no idea what she was up against. But she knew one thing.

There was no way any of this was going to end well.

* * *

Star let her parents into her room, looking around outside the hall for any sign of that girl that looked like her. Then she closed the door, locking it behind her. Star's parents looked at her, confused.

"Star, what are you up to?" Her mother asked. She hesitated a moment, before answering her parents.

"Mom, dad...I was attacked today." She said. Her parents both gasped, saying different things.

"WHO WAS IT?!" Her father yelled.

"Oh, dear, are you all right?" Her mother asked. She nodded.

"I'm fine. But, it's just-" She was interrupted by her father.

"WHERE IS THAT SCOUNDREL?! I'LL TEAR HIM APART WITH MY BARE HANDS!" He yelled.

"Dad, it's fine, she' gone now-" She was interrupted by her mother.

"'She,' dear?" The queen asked. Star sighed.

"Yes, mom, she. But the thing is-" She was interrupted by her father,

"WHICH WAY DID SHE GO?!" He yelled.

"Guys, stop." She said. The quieted for a moment. "Thank you." She sighed, trying to relieve her frustrations. Her father quickly went to tell the guards what had happened. When he came back, she spoke again. "The girl who attacked me...she looked just like me.

"Star, what are you talking about?" Her mother said.

"I don't know, but...the girl, she came through that mirror, and she chocked me. I couldn't grab my wand, and-"

"Star, calm down." Her father said. "What did she want? Did she say anything? Any kingdom she was associated with? Why she was here?"

"Well, nothing like that, but...she mentioned Marco." She said. Her mother raised an eyebrow.

"The young Diaz boy? What did she say about him?" She said.

"She said she was going to do something to him. I think he's in trouble." She said. Her father sighed.

"We can't reach the Diaz family from here, so I'll send a guard to notify them." He said. Star panicked.

"Dad, this girl, she's _way_ too strong for a guard to handle. I'll go, I can protect him better." She said. Star's mother put a hand on her shoulder.

"Star, you were just attacked. If you go, she might actually kill you this time." Her mother said. Star shook her head.

"I don't think that she was trying to kill me. I think it was more like...sending a message." She said.

"What message?" Her father asked. "Star, we need to know this. If this girl got past all our guards and into your quarters with no one noticing, then we have to know who sent her, and why." Star shook her head, looking to the ground to think hard about what her copy had said.

"All she said was that she didn't feel like hurting anyone, and something about...angels? Arch Angel. That's what she said." She looked up, but both her parents had gone deathly pale. "..What is it? Does that mean something?" She asked. They didn't answer. They just turned to each other and started to speak as if she wasn't there.

"We have to tell her now, River. She basically knows already." Her mother said.

"We still have to protect her. She's not ready for something this big. What if she gets hurt?"

"They already hurt her, Moon. If we don't tell her, something far worse could happen." Her father sighed, and Star was filled with confusion.

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" Star asked. Her parents looked at her with pity, and Star suddenly felt like they were going to tell her some bad news. Really bad news. Like, worse than: "your puppy died." Star looked at them back and forth, before her mother sighed and walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"There's something we have to tell you, Star." Her father said. Star groaned.

"I know that, you basically said it three times." She said, not bothering to hide her irritation. Her father sighed.

"But this is extremely important. a matter of life and death." Star looked at her father with a face full of confusion. "...I'm going to tell you a story, one very old...but very true...

* * *

 ** _Sorry about the slow updates, and the overall uneventfulness. I've had some writers block, but I know where I'm going now, and things will certainly take...a turn._**

 ** _Thank you all for reading, have a great day._**


	17. History

(Marco's POV)

Chelsea left Marco in his hospital room. They were getting ready to move him to the Complex, and he wondered how safe it really was. With it's hidden entrance and metal walls, it should be pretty safe, but...he still felt kinda guilty about not telling anyone what was going on in his life or what he was really doing. He wondered how his parents would react to all of this. He wanted nothing moer than to tell them, but he had this deep feeling that if he told them, they would be in some kind of danger. Maybe that was just his paranoia. It had only been a day since the bus incident.

Marco closed his eyes and tried to relax, but found it hard in the overall depressing aura of the hospital. He needed something to help him relax...which knocked on the open doorframe to his room.

"Hey, Marco." Marco heard Jackie's voice say. Marco looked over to her. Well...Deus ex machina, huh?

"Hey, Jackie." Marco said. Jackie walked over to him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"At the moment...I think I'm gonna be all right, all things considered. I was kind of hoping I wouldn't be here again." He said. Jackie gave him a piteous smile.

"I feel like...maybe there was something I could've done. They need to fire that bus driver." She said. Marco smiled at her, as to calm her nerves. He almost forgot that she didn't know about the confrontation with him and Star 2. She simply thought a bus accident did this to him.

"I'm fine, Jackie. It...it could be worse." He said, thinking of Janna and growing solemn. Jackie seemed to understand, and put a comforting hand on his arm. She didn't say anything. Maybe because she didn't know what to say.

Marco thought about everything that surrounded him. All the death and pain and confusion. He needed to get away from it all. But he knew no matter where he went or what he did, "it all" would follow him, and end hurting someone else. Unless he did something to stop it. To stop her.

"I'm glad you're alright." Jackie said after a long moment of silence. "I don't know what I would've done if you had gotten hurt, too." Marco nodded.

"It seems like people get hurt too easily nowadays." He said. Jackie nodded. Silence ruled for a moment, Marco not really sure what to talk about. Marco remembered that he was going to leave soon, and he thought it seemed pretty unfair to leave without saying goodbye. He would have to be sneaky about it. "The doctors are saying that they might have to move me soon."

"Move you where?" She asked. Marco continued to shakily put together a believable excuse.

"The ICU. I don't think they'll move me out of state, but the, uh, nurse said they're thinking about it." He said. Jackie sighed.

"Man, so much has been going on, I...how can you handle it?" She asked. Marco was silent, looking to the inactive television across from him to stare at his reflection. It was a good question. How did he handle all of this? In the end, he answered honestly.

"I don't know."

* * *

 **Two hours later**

* * *

Marco lay in the back of the ambulance, making it's way steadily down the freeway. Each bump and shift caused another shot of discomfort throughout his body,to the point where he thought he wasn't going to heal at all. Chelsea sat in the back with him, holding his hand as he tried to bear the pain. At this point, he would've took flying over this. He was way too hot, and it would've been less bumpy. He wondered what would be waiting for him at Arc Angel. They've only been driving for about thirty minutes, after his parents had almost flat out attacked mason when he attempted to take Marco from the hospital. He had to calm them down, and even though they were usually understanding and light hearted, it was not an easy feat. He thought he needed a place in the hall of fame for accomplishing that alone.

"Don't worry Marco, just a couple more minutes." She said. Marco nodded, ignoring the massive migraine it caused him. "And don't worry, as soon as we get there, you'll be good as new."

"T-thanks, Chelsea." Marco said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, don't try and talk. Just wait until we get to Arch Angel." Marco nodded again, and this time, he couldn't help but groan at the pain pounding against his head. "Can you go a little slower?" She said loudly to the driver, which didn't help Marco's head ache at all. The driver slowed down, which made it a little easier on him.

"Thanks." Marco said, the pain now somewhat bearable. She smiled at him. It just now occurred to him that she had been holding his hand throughout the entire ride. He knew she was never going to let him live this down. But hey, was it his fault that he was mortally injured?

"Marco, do you need anything else? Anything at all?" She asked. Marco shook his head. "Alright. Just, let me know if you do."

"Hey, come on Chelsea, don't baby the rookie." A particularly annoying voice from up front spoke. Marco tried his best to block it out, but their voices were just too loud.

"Shut up, Justin. I'm trying to be helpful." She said.

"I'm pretty sure that a stuffed bear would be more helpful to him right now. In fact, I have one right here!" Justin said.

"Shut up!" Chelsea yelled, her voice pounding through Marco's head. Marco groaned, and Chelsea immediately pulled back. "Oh, sorry Marco!" She said quietly.

"Don't bother with him right now, Chelsea. He's too hurt to give you any fun. Didn't know you were into younger guys, but hey, everyone has-"

"Justin," Mason's voice came from the front, "now is not the time for your inappropriate humor, Justin."

"Hey, Mason, come on. Learn to lighten up." Justin said.

Marco suddenly felt very light headed, and felt as if he would pass out. He suddenly felt very numb and distant, and his vision went dark, but he could still hear the things around him. It was like he was asleep, but he could still hear. Luckily he couldn't tell if he had a headache still.

"He blacked out!' Chelsea's voice sounded panicked. "Mason, do something!"

"Chelsea, calm down. I just had Justin administer some tranquilizer." Mason said. Chelsea squeezed Marco's hand.

"How do you know that ass didn't poison him?" She said.

"Language, Chelsea." Mason said calmly, not fazed by the use of profanity. Marco couldn't see anyone's face, but he imagined that Chelsea looked very annoyed.

"So, am I the only one uncomfortable with putting the fate of the world in the hands of this guy?" Justin said.

"Shut up, Justin, before I make you." Chelsea said. Justin chuckled.

"Marco might be untrained and inexperienced, but I have faith in him." Mason said. Marco felt a slight tingle on his left hand, and realized that Chelsea hadn't let go of his hand.

"And what about your faith in the 'prophecy,' huh? You really believe this kid needs to kill himself?" Justin asked. There was silence for a moment.

"Prophecies have been misinterpreted before. I'm sure it will not come to that." Mason said.

"'Red blood' is not really a term that leaves room for interpretation." Justin said. Then silence ensued.

"Don't worry, Marco." He heard Chelsea's voice whisper. "I'm going to keep you safe. No matter what."

"Eh, don't worry Marco." Justin's voice yelled. "She's said that to all the guys she's had a fling with, around fifteen I think, and she's _always_ pulled through." Justin said.

"Justin, I swear to god, I'm going to kill you!" Chelsea yelled, which matched up to Justin's laughing.

"Don't act like it ain't true, sunshine. You're probably going to outgrow him within the week." Justin said. "Better have your fun while you can."

"Justin, control yourself. Your condition is no excuse for you to act like a child." Mason said.

"Yes, _Mom_! Geez, buzzkill much." He said.

"As soon as we are out of here, I'm gonna kill you a thousand times over." Chelsea said.

"Make sure you wear your Sunday best! I prefer to look fancy while committing murder. Oh, look! We've returned back to the palace of the buzzkills! Mason, miss your homeland?" Justin asked.

Loud noises could be heard before his hearing faded out, as well as his consciousness.

* * *

(Star's POV)

"Now, these are accounts from not to long ago, but there are few records of it. Never the less, everything I'm about to tell you is extremely real."

Star sat on her bed, listening to her father talk as if she was a child listening to a bedtime story. Her father began telling her about beings, demons, and people with great power and evil, whom dwarfed monsters in comparison.

* * *

 _It was when the people of the kingdoms in their dimension had learned of dimensional travel. About four generations ago. Trade and exploration began, and when our kingdom grew, we had heard whispers of monsters beyond explanation were looking to control everything and everyone in the dimensions, but most of the royalty ignored it, not taking a possible threat of that magnitude with the right seriousness._

 _Then one day, strange people had come from the sky, appearing out of nowhere. Dark and mysterious, overall terrifying, despite the fact that there were only about twenty of them in total. They gathered the mass of the army, and they announced that they were simply going to rule over the land._

 _Of course, the monarch of the Mewnie simply laughed at their faces. Our army dwarfed them, and we had the royal magic wand at our side. But we were not prepared for what was to come next._

 _The queen, your great-great grandmother, had ended up firing her strongest spell, after multiple failed attempts with her other spells. We expected it to make quick work of the so-called "invaders." Stories say the sky lit up three times as bright, the sound being heard from miles across the world, and the force nearly destroying half of the forest. And they simply stood there. The spell hit them with all of its force, but it only took two down, and only_ then _for a moment's notice. The rest were only slightly fazed by it, or just shrugged it off completely._

 _The army was called to attack. We thought that if we couldn't take them down with magic, we could weaken them with our forces and then take them down with another spell. THe strange thing was, they waited there. It took two days to amass all our forces and reserves, and they just...stood there. For two days. With smiles on their faces, as if they were amused by our resistance._

 _Then, all of a sudden, our army of twenty thousand strong warriors suddenly fell, out of nowhere. No one saw what happened to them. Ten thousand of soldiers went down, all dead in less than a second, most in a very gruesome fashion. Among one of the invaders was a being who could move faster than the eye could track, covered in dark armor and blue lightning. Another one flew quickly up to the skies. No wings, no wind, no magic. It was as if he simply weighed nothing and was thrown. He landed on front of the queen with a resounding crack, the marble he landed on becoming completely destroyed, and a powerful gust of wind because of his force._

 _The queen used her last resort, a spell that almost depleted her life, but this man simply stood in front of her, taking the spell directly to his chest, from no more than two feet away. He grabbed the wand in the middle of casting the spell, which is the only reason the queen lived to bear children. No one alive and present could've anticipated what had transpired there that day. The entire army and the monarch, defeated in less than a minute. But they did not stop at simply defeating us. No, as if to give an example of their power, one of them turned to the forest behind the castle, lifted his hand, and brought it down. The trees were crushed for no reason at all, as if an invisible giant had come and sat on it. But there was no sound, no wind, nothing. If we weren't looking, we might not have even noticed it. Everyone of the citizens were in such a state of fear, that they simply froze at the sight of the beings. Any hope or rebellion had been extinguished. No one could do anything but obey as the invaders led them to dungeons._

 _We lived for months, the highest of society as slaves to the beings with unfathomable power. Homes torn down, broken, and burnt. Everyone living in unthinkable poverty. Diseases ran rampant, and even crime lords stopped and obeyed. There was nothing anyone could do against beings so powerful._

 _It was only by the saving grace of a kingdom unfindable and nigh unheard of that we were freed._

 _They called themselves Arch Angel._

 _They came bearing the signs of peace and prosperity, around an image of a bird._

 _They had an army, one where every soldier matched each of the invaders in power and skill. The following battle went unwitnessed, for we had been told to wait underground. But we could hear the sound of battle from below, large crashes and explosions, and we could feel the aftermath in the earth beneath our feet. And when the dust settled...the kingdom was in ruins, nearly completely destroyed. It was in worse of a condition than when the invaders ruled over us. The people were devastated, until we learned that not a one of our citizens had died or, even mysteriously disappeared, as many had during the "Reign of the Unthinkables." After our freedom, they rebuilt our kingdom into the glory it was today. They gave us the knowledge and the magic to make us as powerful as we are, but we were still novices in comparison to them. I suppose it will be years until we can get to their level. No one had even dreamt of the power the showed us._

 _After they left, we prospered. Even the poorest of the citizens lived like dukes. Our economy flourished, our lands rich._

 _And then came the beings we call "Dark ones."_

 _They were demons, like Tom...but far more terrifying. Few of them knew how to strategize, as they didn't need to. Giants made of pure dark energy crashed through the streets, crushing houses. Dark ones who looked more like skeletons the size of trees ran quickly through the city and rooftops, eating the helpless alive. Then there were the Dark ones who looked like people, but had wings and skin shrouded in darkness. They didn't attack us, but instead, twisted our minds, so that we attacked each other or ourselves, mindlessly. Driving the most determined man insane. The sky turned red, blood-curdling screams could be heard everywhere. Crime went rampant as people tried desperately to escape and survive. There were sorcerers, whose dark magic matched our own. And the ones who lured you away to their dens with false feelings of lust and love, where innocents were used and devoured._

 _Again, Arch Angel came and to save us._

 _They came with beings of pure light. They were a most amazing sight to behold. The citizens and royals alike couldn't help but look in awe, admiration, and amazement at these great warriors. And they came with giants of gold, ones that matched the Dark giants and radiated nothing but the feeling of good and innocence. The sky turned blue, and the sun gave off a light it had never before. They slew all the Dark ones, and showed us spells of light to ward them off._

 _That was the last time we were attacked by beings as such as this. And the last time we heard from the legendary kingdom of all kingdoms, the warriors of unlimited power._

* * *

Star looked at her dad, eyes wide.

"...Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" She asked. The king sighed.

"Star, you have to understand. Look outside. Do the citizens look like their happy living here? We're still recovering from the Dark Ones attack. We tried to keep you from that for as long as possible, let you enjoy life." He said. Star looked at between her mother and her father. They both looked at her with their eyes full of pity.

"...Who else knows about it?" She asked.

"All of the royalty knows. They had faced similar attacks in the past. We all agreed to keep this a secret until the next generation was ready to take over the throne." Her mother said. "We think it's one of the invaders who attacked you." She said.

"B-but...didn't you say that...Arc Angel defeated them?" Star asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean they're gone." Her father said. "I fear for your safety, as well as all of Mewnie."

Star sat there, not able to wrap her head around all of this. She thought her wand was the most powerful thing in the universe. How could there be something more powerful than magic? It had to be another form of magic? But there was no magic more powerful than hers.

"Why does she look like me?" Star asked. Her mother shook her head.

"I don't know, Star. Perhaps it is illusion magic."

"Why? Why does she want to hurt us so bad? Why does she keep attacking me and..." Star went quiet for a moment.

Marco. The other Star had wanted to know about Marco. Why? What did he have to do with anything?

"Star? What is it?" Her mother asked. Star looked up at them.

"...Marco...She wanted to know about Marco." She said. Her parents actually looked confused by this. They were probably wondering what Marco had to do with this, but Star wasn't. The only thing she was worried about was that this girl was going after Marco. She found herself growing more and more worried as she thought about what she might do to him. "I have to go to him."

She was about to get up, when her father stopped her.

"Star, I know of your feelings for the Diaz boy, but this is something you have no idea how to fight. They won't go down with a magic spell. They might not go down at all. You could end up hurt, or worse."

"Which is exactly why I have to go get him! She could hurt him!" She yelled.

"Yes, Star, I know this. So I will send guards to Earth to pick him up. Sending you would just put you in more danger." Her father said.

"Guards won't be able to help him! You said so yourself, about the being no one could see move. She could take them down in a second and kill him ten times over."

"And she could do the same to you." Star's mother said. "I'm sorry, Star, but you're not going, and that's final." Star looked to her dad, who gave her a stern look. It was clear that they weren't going to let Star go out to get him. And after what she just heard about them, she wasn't sure she wanted to go either. But she had to get Marco. Even if she got killed while doing it, she couldn't just sit here, knowing that something could happen to Marco. She shouldn't have left him in the first place. She left to keep him safe, but it seemed like he was in even more danger than before. What was she thinking back then? She might have thought she was doing the right thing for him, but she even managed to Star things up without even touching it. She was like a walking accident magnet.

Star's parents were quiet for a moment, before a knock on the door got everyone's attention.

"Your majesty, Prince Kalahari is requesting an audience with Princess Butterfly." The voice of a servant said through the door.

"Tell him we'll be just a moment, Collins." Queen Butterfly said.

"Of course, your highness."Collins said. King Butterfly turned to Star.

"Star, this is for your safety. Do you understand?" He asked. She didn't answer, just nodded, not looking him in the eye. He sighed, standing. "We must be going. Star, please, don't do anything reckless." He said.

Her parents stood there a moment, as if waiting for Star to give them an okay. After she said nothing, the both left the room. Star fell back on her bed, and Stared up at the ceiling. What was she going to do? She had to ge to Marco? She couldn't stand the thought of something happening to him. Especially not when there was something she could do. But what was she going to do about her parents? She couldn't wait for them to go to sleep, that would take too long. And she didn't trust the soldiers to keep Marco safe.

She had to sneak out the castle. But she couldn't do it without help. Help from someone who could know all the movements of the guards and her parents. She thought he might find it too crazy, but...she could convince him to help. She had to.

For Marco.

There was another knock on her door. Star stood up and walked towards it, opening the door. Just outside stood Kalahari.

"Hey, Star!" He said. "Do you know why your parents were acting weird, because the just, like, completely blew me off." He said. Star didn't say anything. She didn't have to. She just remembered everything her parents had just told her. Kalahari's eyes widened at what he saw in her mind.

"...Oh...damn." He said.

"Yeah." Star said. She walked over to her bed and fell on it face first. Star heard Kalahari walk closer, but not close the door behind him.

"Well...it could be w-" Star moved her head to give him a glare. "I mean, at least you're not-" Her glare deepened. "Well, at least you...can come up with a plan?" He tried. Star was now seriously considering blowing hitting him with an emerald dragon blast. "M-maybe we should just focus on making a plan. Star stood up, and Kalahari visibly tensed.

"So you're going to help?" She asked. Kalahari sighed, appearing relieved.

"Look, I can't leave you hanging. You'd do the same for me if Hyacinth was in trouble. And, I'm going to be completely honest, I've gotten really bored just hanging around here. Even sparring's gotten boring." Star was surprised by this.

"You spare?" She asked.

"Yeah, but usually with Hyacinth. It's boring when you know every move that the other person's going to do next." He said. Star stared at him for a second, then shook her head. This guy might be tame, but he was mysterious as heck. "I've never seen you this irritated before." Star stiffened. "You have a good reason to be, but still...it's kind of...out of character for you."

"Lately, everything's been out of character." She said, sighing. "Let's just go. Are there any guards in the hallway?"

"No, but I have a much easier solution." Kalahari said. "We could just slide down the 'Not-very-steep' slope of your roof straight to the ground." Star looked outside the window, and saw that, thought the tiles of the roof looked uncomfortable, they led straight to some bushes that surrounded the perimeter of the back courtyard. She looked at Kalahari.

"Then let's go." She said, grabbing her wand and going out the window before Kalahari could say anything.

"H-hey, wait up!"


	18. How do you do?

**I know I haven't been doing a lot of action scenes, but I promise action in the next chapter.**

 **And, much to your surprise and my dismay, I haven't seen the second season yet. I've already seen what happens to Marco's love life (no spoilers), but that's just because of the internet. So I'm just sticking to my knowledge of the first season.**

 **Please don't spoil anything.**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco woke up in a white room. That was it. Everything was just plain white. There seemed to be nothing else in the room. It was just a bright white, like nothing existed beyond, not even the room itself. It was weirdly warm and somehow...comforting. Was this how death felt? Maybe he was dead. He wasn't sure wether he was in a room or a ball of light. His covers were white, but he saw their shadows, so he knew they were there, covering the lower half of his body. Even his clothes were white, but had small blue designs plotted in an almost polka-dot pattern.

Marco looked around, and saw nothing, except for the sleeping figure of Chelsea next to him. She was laying her head down on his bed, snoring quietly. He didn't want to disturb her, but felt creepy just watching her sleep like this. He wondered why she had stayed here to the point where she had to fall asleep. Finally, having reached his limit of uncomfortableness, he nudged Chelsea awake with his elbow. He found it to be s surprisingly difficult feat. He felt completely drained of energy, and that movement wasn't helping. Nevertheless, he was successful, as Chelsea quickly sat up, attempting to look awake and aware, but being overshadowed by the exhaustion apparent on her face. She looked at Marco, noticed he was awake, and immediately hugged him.

"Oh, thank god." She said in a breath. "Are you all right?" There was something in her voice that just...worried Marco. It sounded so unlike her. Unsure, desperate. After noticing this, he also noticed that it did not hurt when she attack hugged him. He was alright. How long was he out?

"I'm fine. What happened?" He asked. "How long was I out?"

"About six...seven hours?" She said. "It's been...stressing, to say the least." Marco didn't know how to respond to that. Instead he looked around the place he was in, if you could call it that.

"What the hell is this place?" He asked her.

"It's the recovery room in Arch Angel. This is where the wounded go when simple healing spell can't save them." She said. Marco looked at her, confused. Were his injuries so bad that magic couldn't even save him? Did he get beat down that bad? Chelsea looked at him, and seemed to have read his thoughts, because she quickly recalled the previous statement.

"Oh, no, you where fine! It's just that, all our healers are on duty, so we just kind of...stuck you in here." She said awkwardly. Marco nodded, understanding.

"Yeah. Thanks." He said.

"No problem. The least I could do." She said. Somewhere out in the distance, Marco heard a voice emit from the void around him. Chelsea looked behind her and then back to him. "I've got to go. Get better, alright? Before I have to do something drastic."

"No promises." He said. He couldn't help but remember what he overheard in the ambulance, when Chelsea, Mason, and that Justin guy was talking. Chelsea flinched, and if Marco wasn't looking for it, he probably wouldn't have noticed.

Without another word, she stood up and walked out, leaving him alone with his thoughts. What were they talking about, him having to kill himself? About him dying? Was this some twisted ritual? No, Chelsea wouldn't do that. Neither would Mason. But what did he really know about them? Nothing. He blindly allowed himself to follow them, and now they were talking about him dying. Were they planning to kill him or something?

No, that would be crazy. They wouldn't so something like that. Right?

"Hey, buddy." Someone said. He recognized the voice as Justin, the guy from the ambulance earlier. He turned to see a guy, around Chelsea's age. He had dark brown hair, very dark blue eyes, and a smile on his face that seemed to mock him. "Waking up?"

"...You Justin?" Marco asked. Justin touched the tip of his nose with his left hand, using the other to point at Marco.

"On the nose." He said, smiling widely, appeased by his own joke. He sat on the chair next to Marco's bed, crossing his legs and leaning back. "So, you want the good news or the bad news first?" He asked. Marco blinked, surprised. What was this guy playing at?

"Um...the good news?" He said, unsure of what was really going on.

"Okay. First, you'll be fine, nothing too major that we can't handle. Guess you already knew that, though. And the bad news...actually there is no bad news. Okay, now I'm just going to explain what's about to happen when you get out. First, I'll be overseeing your training. Second, don't touch anything you don't know. Understand?"

"Yeah, sure." Marco said, confused on why he was being told this.

"Oh, and if you want to survive, don't get into the fridge, don't go into the normal training areas, stay inside at all times, don't talk to anybody, and for the love of god, don't talk to anybody named Bartholomew. Not really any reason not to, it's just a weird name." Justin said. "Understand?"

"...Uh...yeah?" Marcos said.

"Good, I was afraid you'd be confused after all the info I just dropped on you. Eh, blame it on lazy writing." He said. Now Marco was confused.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing." Justin said. "Now the bad news. I kind of have to kidnap you right now. Nothing personal, just orders. You know, before those religious dick-lints out there do."

"Wait, what?" Marco said. Before he could even react, Justin was up and at him.

"Nightandhaveagoodone!" He heard Justin say rapidly before everything went black.

* * *

"...uck did you do to him?" Marco heard a distant voice. His head felt slightly groggy, and his body felt tingly.

"Hey, this story doesn't know what the hell it's doing, why should I?" He heard someone answer. Justin.

"Would you stop talking like that. You sound like a lunatic." The first voice answered. Marco started to get his senses together as he groaned slightly, but apparently not loud enough to be heard. He slowly tried to get up, but to no avail.

"I'm a lunatic? How about the author? This has to be like, what, the third time they put this guy in a hospital. Clearly, they have some emotional dependency issues to work on. Plus, I'm not sure they know what they're parodying yet." Justin said. The first voice sighed.

"Fuck it, I'm done with this. Every single thing that comes out your mouth is-" Justin interrupted.

"Hey, aren't you reading? Marco's awake." Justin said. Marco felt an hand grab his arm and help him up. "And about goddamn time. Things were moving slow as hell before." Marco opened his eyes to see himself in some kind of...dentist's office. No joke, an actual dentist office. Why was he here? What did Justin do to him?

"I apologize for Justin's behavior, and the current location as well." A voice said. It was female, oddly familiar. he was sat down in a laid back chair so that he was almost lying down. He tried to focus, but found his vision to still be blurry, and he couldn't move his body with full energy.

"Hey, you wanted to bring him somewhere they wouldn't expect, why not to a big-lipped alligator moment?" Justin said.

"Justin? Do me a favor." The voice said.

"Shoot." Justin replied.

"Shut the hell up." A blob of color appeared against the white of what he assumed was the ceiling, and his vision started to clear until he could see...

"...Mom?!" Marco asked incredously. His mom chuckled, her hair pinned back and eyeliner put so that it was kind of...feline.

"Not quite, Marco, but I do understand we have a striking resemblance." She said. Marco looked closer at his mother, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary...except her eyes. They didn't just look feline, they were feline. Cat eyes. Suddenly it dawned on Marco.

"You're an irregular." He said. She nodded, backing away from him. Marco sat up, as best he could, and studied her. Nothing else seemed out of place. Her body, her hair, even her clothes were the same. But...the eyes. It was hard to look straight into them. It wasn't like looking at a house cat, it was like looking into the eyes of a tiger who wanted you for dinner. He was intimidated and uncomfortable under her gaze. She chuckled.

"Uncomfortable? Yes, I get that a lot. I apologize for my eyes, it's just another part of my gift." She said. Marco tried to laugh it off too, but it came out awkward and unnatural. It was those eyes...Jesus, they were scary.

"Umm...what am I doing here?" Marco asked.

"You know, what usually happens around here. Ancient prophecy, oncoming war, death and destruction. Goddamn, I could use a vacation." Justin said. The woman who looked like his mom glared at Justin, which to Marco was as about as horrifying as the thought of being burned alive. "What? I do stuff. I need a break too."

" _Anyways_...Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the head of Arc Angel." She said. A sudden air of importance shrouded her. "I am the holy one. The mistress of power, the mind that guides the wings."

"You can just call her Kat." Justin said, to which 'Kat' then proceeded to turn around and Whack Justin up the side of his head.

Marco was surprised. He remembered how Chelsea and Mason reacted to Ichelx when the Superior told them to let her go. And it was obvious Chelsea had strong feelings against irregulars. So why did she never show her distaste against this one being the head of Arc Angel? Kat, taking a break form hitting Justin, must have read Marco's mind or something.

"You must already know that many people have a...preference against irregulars such as myself. It is why I prefer to keep my existence and involvement secret from most of Arc Angel. Which, given our extremely large numbers, is no small feat." She said. Marco raised an eyebrow.

"I thought there wasn't that many of Arc Angel. Lime...sixty of you guys or something." He said. Kat shook her head.

"I'm afraid that you've been given false information. There are an exceedingly large amount of us. Thousands scattered through each dimension, even in the dark planes of the irregulars." She said.

"Which we can tell you all about another time." Justin said, stepping next to Kat. Marco had to try hard not to laugh at the red hand print visible on his face. "I can't sit through another one of these drawn out explanations, I'm starting to fancy blowing my brains out with a twenty-two."

"Could you please refrain from being so vulgar?" Kat asked.

"You're one to talk, you swear like a goddamned sailor. Especially in bed." Marco couldn't remember which came first, the smack or Justin flying through the wall.

"Anyways, the reason I brought you here." Kat started, while Marco tried to ignore the Justin-sized hole in the wall. "As Justin crudely stated before, there is a premonition of the future, gave to us by one of our oldest and most reliable members." She said. "A prophecy that I'm afraid involves you." She said. Marco looked at her , confused.

"Um...what do you mean?" He asked.

"She means that you're gonna die." Justin said, suddenly right next to Marco. Marco jumped, moving quickly away form the blonde. "Sorry to have to rip the band-aid off, but that's how it is."

"Justin." Kat said. "Seriously."

"I am being serious. I thought that was part of the problem." Justin said, a smirk on his face. Marco looked between the them. What the heck was going on here?

"I'm sorry," Kat said, turning to Marco. "This must all be confusing for you. I'll try to explain properly what's going on."

"I'll tell him what's going on." Justin said, slapping a hand on Marco's shoulders. "Your origin story, part two, buddy." He said, looking at his watch. "You might want to take a seat, man. This'll take a while."

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star made her way down Marco's street, half-heartedly greeting the crowd of old friends that gathered around her. The old faces just molded together, Star couldn't tell them apart. She could only keep focusing on one thing.

"Star, can we please hurry up. I _really_ want to get back before they notice." Kalahari said, when they crowd had left.

"They already know we're gone." Star replied. There were guards posted all around the castle, and Star had noticed the castle's silent alarm being triggered.

"What? Man, Hyacinth is gonna kill me." He said, sighing. "So be it. Let's just grab Marco and get back to Mewni before it gets any worse." He said.

"For him, or for you?" Star asked. Kalahari just stared at her.

"So, this is the place?" He asked quickly, changing the subject. Star followed the point of his finger, and was greeted by the familiar sight of a red, blue, and white house with the seemingly out of place Mewnian tower still protruding out of the side. Cacti were strayed almost randomly all over it, on the roof, in the front yard. The memory of this place grasped her hard and shook her.

"Yeah." Star said, but it came out as not much more than a whisper. "This is the place."

Star walked up to the front door of the house, each step making her heart pound in her head louder and louder. Her legs started to shake, to the point where she thought she might collapse. She needed to calm down. She didn't want Marco to see her like this, especially when she came to "rescue" him. _Come on, Star. Be strong._ She told herself this over and over, but she couldn't seem to deliver on it.

She tried taking a deep breath, but she couldn't command her lungs to do what she wanted. Suddenly, it felt like she was suffocating.

Then she fell to her knees.

"Sta-!" She heard Kalahari start behind her, but it was cut off by a grunt of pain. He was hurt.

"Wh-..what?" She asked weakly. She tried to look behind her, but her head wouldn't move. Her vision started to blur with tears of bodily pain that didn't seem to exist, yet...did. All she could do was face the ground, on her knees, feeling all the weight of Mewni on her shoulders. _What...is this?_

In front of her, the door to the Diaz house opened, and three steps could be heard, each pounding like a war drum. She could see crude, grey-ish male dress shoes on the ground, and grey pants. It seemed like it was fashioned to be bright, almost cheerful, but it just looked...dark.

"Ah, it would appear that I have guests." A familiar voice said. "Well, it would certainly be rude not to invite them in, wouldn't it mumfred?"

 _Wait,_ Star thought, _is that..._

Star found enough energy to look up, however slowly. The figure wore what seemed like old English clothing, all the same attempted cheerful grey. He had a cane with a wolf's head in his hand, holding it behind his back sticking parallel to the horizon. The top hat he wore almost covered his face, but form on the ground, Star could see..

"... _Marco_..." She said. Marco smiled at her, perfect white teeth smiled down at her, a kind look in his eyes.

"How do you do, miss?" He said. Star looked up at him. The smile was friendly, not threatening in any way, but it struck fear into her heart. And the most chilling thing of all...

...

...

...his eyes were green.

* * *

 **Hey, me again. I'm sorry for being on such a haitus. How long has it been? Four, five months? I hope at least. I haven't been able to do much updating, but I'm back here, and I'm gonna try my best to stick with you guys.**

 **Sorry this one isn't as long as I'd liked. I'm on a really tight scheduele right now, and I kinda rushed through some parts, but I will make it worthwhile. I promise.**


	19. Knight and Queen

**SO, Final's are next week, and I'm gonna be busy. I'll still update, I ain't disappearing again.**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco sat down in a surprisingly comfortable wooden chair. At least it would be bearable here. He looked at the two people in front of him who were sitting in two parallel chairs very similar in fashion, and was suddenly getting a case of Déjà vu. This reminded him awfully a lot of the time he met Chelsea and Mason. And he was sure that wasn't a good thing.

For a few moments, they sat there in an awkward silence, no one speaking or moving. He just stared at the two people in front of him.

"...Uh, so, do-" Marco started, but was cut off by Justin loudly clapping his hands together.

"Let's get started, shall we?" He said, rubbing his hands together, as if preparing them for use. "Kat, Would you like to lead this?"

"...You forgot the prophecy, didn't you?" She asked.

"Hey, I'm a very busy guy, and I don't usually pay attention to the get-togethers we have."

"You mean thew War Councils?" She asked.

"Just start, already." He said, waving her off. She sighed, and turned to Marco. Suddenly, her eyes grew pitch, and her voice became like an echo.

" _Darkness consumed the soul of the lost, Life's blood is Fate's cost. A life sacrificed, the body of a friend's time. Black night and red blood, stop's the universe's flood._ " As she stopped, she visibly got weaker, slumping back in her chair. "This vision seems to take more energy than the others."

"So, this is the prophecy that Chelsea and Mason are afraid of. Maybe it means you're death, maybe it means that something else." Justin shrugged, pulling out a soda can from...Marco didn't actually see where.

"So, you're sure this prophecy was about me? Me in particular? Maybe it's about someone else, I didn't hear a name or anything in there." Marco said. Justin shrugged.

"Not a hundred sure. But this prophecy popped up the moment you appeared on our radar. A lot of people are convinced this is about you." Justin said, opening the soda. "And with the rumors that you befriended an irregular, people are getting scared. As you just heard, it's not about sunshine and rainbows. It's pretty scary."

"...But, it could be just a coincidence that I got this...power at the same time Kat had her vision. It doesn't necessarily mean it's about me." Marco said, to which Justin only smirked.

"Tell me, Diaz, what's the one thing the universe always shoots everywhere, the one thing that's always around?" He asked, taking a gulp of his soda.

"Time." Kat answered, not waiting for Marco.

"...And my power is a time-stop." Marco said, understanding.

"And the soul of the lost consumed in darkness? Tell me, does that match in the slightest anything you've heard of?" He asked.

"The irregulars." He said, a chill running down his spine. "Okay, I'm convinced. But what about the other four parts of this prophecy?" He asked.

"It's a prophecy because it hasn't happened yet." Justin said.

"The universe has yet to reveal that part to us. But rest assured, I am confident it is about you." Kat said. "In the vision, I saw the swiftest being in the world behind the most powerful warrior, who would lead the next generation of light into creation. But the 'rapid man,' as I've begun to call him, would choose the fate of the world before. _The light in day, or the black in night. To fight till the end, with his heart's might._ "

"That means, whoever the rapid man is, will be an ultimate good or an ultimate evil, until death. There is no in between." He said. Marco blinked. So...they were basically saying...

"...So I only have two choices to live my entire life by? Ultimate good or ultimate evil? Nothing else?" Marco stood up in anger. "What kind of choice is that?"

"I thought this would be comforting. You're destined to be an ultimate force, with the fate of millions in your hand. The choice could've been much more complicated than this." She said. "And, given your morals and history, it's pretty obvious which one you would choose." Marco looked at her in shock.

"I want to be normal! I was supposed to have a _normal_ life, even by Star's standards. What kind of god of fate or whatever puts the fate of millions in one teen's hands?!" Marco started to yell now, but he didn't care. Justin got up and out a hand on his chest, a seriousness in his eyes that wasn't usually there.

"Don't yell at Kat." He said, a tone in his voice dripping with murderous intent. Marco met his gaze with a steel look.

"Don't touch me." Marco said through gritted teeth.

"Marco, Justin, stop it right now." Kat said. But Marco didn't hear her. He was tired. Tired of being a pushover, tired of being yanked around by people he didn't know, tired of being forced to lie, tired of being forced to hurt. And that made him angry. And in his anger, he activated his power. He meant t push Justin into the wall, and he did...

But he didn't see it. It was obvious he activated his power, and he could sense the movement, but the room flew around him suddenly, like he teleported. There was a pounding underneath his feet, a great rush of wind and power that felt...amazing. He was pushing Justin against the wall with one hand on his shoulder, but the anger was gone, replaced by the shock at what he just let go of Justin and stepped back, while the blonde glared at him from against the wall. He looked around, then looked down at his hands.

They were covered in red lightning.

"...How...what did I..." Marco asked to no one in particular. Then, he groaned. "Now what?"

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat in the living room, a cup of tea in her hand. She looked at the dark liquid, not trusting the contents of the porcelain cup. Kalahari, on the other hand, sipped eagerly.

"This is absolutely divine!" he said, wonder sparkling in his eyes. "I've never tasted anything this good!" Star looked at him, shocked.

"Did you forget we are prisoners here?" She asked, incredulous.

"Doesn't mean we can't enjoy his tea." Kalahari said, taking another sip. She groaned in exasperation.

"Forget the tea! Tell me what he's thinking." She said. "Maybe-Marco," as she had begun to call him, whistled a happy tune as he continued to prepare another pot of tea. Kalahari sighed.

"I tried already." Kalahari said. "It seems that one of his abilities is to block telepaths like me from getting inside his head." He took another sip of tea.

Star looked into the cup of steaming liquid, and swirled it around. She stared into the distorted reflection that the whirlpool of tea gave her. What was going on? Who was this guy? Why did he look just like Marco? He had no family that resembled him that closely. So many pieces, jumbled and distorted, of this gigantic mystery of a puzzle that seemed to center around Marco.

Star was brought back to reality by the clinking of porcelain. She looked up quickly, startled, and nearly dropped her seething tea on the lap of her dress.

"Careful, now, love." Maybe-Marco said. "Wouldn't want to waste perfectly good tea." Star raised an eyebrow. _And what was it with this guy and tea?_ She thought.

"How did you make this?" Kalahari said. "This is absolutely wonderful!" Maybe-Marco chuckled, a friendly, warm chuckle.

"It's a very special tea leaf from my homeland, and my own home-made cream. I see you've taken a liking to it."

"Have I?" Kalahari said. Maybe-Marco laughed. Star frowned, uncomfortable. What did this guy want? Why couldn't he just get to the point?

"Have as much as you like, I've made plenty." He said, taking a sip of tea himself.

"Who are you?" Star asked. Maybe-Marco raised an eyebrow, his mouth hidden behind a teacup.

"How forward." he said, setting the tea down. "My name is Johnathon Wayne the third. And yours?" Star look at him, confused.

"...My what?" She asked. A look crossed his face, one that said 'I'm done.'

"You're name, madame." He said.

"Oh, right. Star Butterfly." She said. Johnathon stood and folded one arm behind his back, the other in front of his stomach, and bowed to her. He stood up and bowed to Kalahari.

"Kalahari Draconia." He said.

"Lovely to meet you both." He said, sitting back down. "And may I ask, what brings you here?"

"We were looking for a friend. He and his family live here." She said, an accusing tone evident in her voice.

"If you're referring to that Hispanic fellow, I gave him and his wife a free vacation to a resort not too far from here. Pity the old chap, his son is in the hospital, last I heard." He said. Star blinked. The other Star said she gave him a preview of what was to come. But she didn't know she put him in the hospital.

 _Marco, what have you gotten yourself into?_ She thought. _No time for thinking now. Focus, Star._

"And did you just _happen_ to notice the son of the 'Hispanic fellow' looks just like you?" She asked. Johnathon nodded.

"Yes, yes, I've seen the picture hanging around. I am his irregular. As it is, as it was." he said, rolling his wrist in the air as he said the last sentence, like it was something Star should know.

"His irregular?" Star asked.

"Long story. I'm sure your father will explain it to you sometime." He said. Star was shocked.

"You know my father?" She asked.

"Oh, of course. We have tea every other Tuesday, and then spar some." Johnathon said. "Did you know when he first sent you to earth, he thought he was sending you to live with me? Oh, the look on his face when I told him who was really here. Of course, by then, it had already been two weeks, and he could hardly change it back now. Marco's more than capable of taking care of himself."

"..." Star opened her mouth as she was about to speak, but then closed it. What the heck was this guy talking about? She couldn't even think of a response.

"I hear you two have become quite the little dynamic duo." He said. "Shame he's not here now, he would now what to make of this. Your father asked me to heal him, you know. Of course, it was in my best interest, but the thing is, even though we are connected, I just can't seem to find that bloke. I always wanted to meet the guy who lead my life. What makes one person like this, and so suddenly? Makes one wonder, doesn't it?" He laughed. "Oh, my, I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm sorry, it's just I haven't had a person to speak to in quite some time."

"If you don't mind my asking, how exactly do you know Marco?" Kalahari asked. star was grateful, cause she couldn't speak. She just kept staring at Johnathon, trying to figure out if he was serious.

"Oh, I know everything about him, and more. Well, we might as well be one in the same. Which is why I'm so startled that I just can't seem to find the bloke. No idea where he's run off to." He said. Star snapped out of it when he said that.

"What are you planning to do with him?" Star asked, Johnathon laughed.

"Oh, don't worry, the last thing I want is for any harm to come to Marco. In fact, I wanted to make sure that no one could harm him. Seems I was a little to late though, that unpleasant woman Dash got to him first." He said, picking up his tea cup and taking a sip. "Oh, dear, it's gone cold."

"Wait, you know who that girl is?" Kalahari asked, and Star frowned. This was getting more and more convoluted as they went on.

"Of course. She's the self-claimed 'leader' of the Red Falcons. Or, what I believe your father called the 'invaders.'" He said, taking another sip of tea and sighing with disappointment. Star's eyes widened.

"Invaders..." She said. The ones who had nearly taken over Mewnie in less than three days, all without doing much. _That's_ who was after Marco's "secret"?

"Yes. Dastardly woman, that. Nearly destroyed one of my suits in our last brawl." He said, then suddenly whipped his head to the wall. "Oh, dear me, I've lost track of time. I'm afraid I must take my leave."

"Wait." Kalahari said. "Why would you tell us all of this?" Johnathon looked at him blankly for a moment, then shrugged.

"Just felt like it." He said, then proceeded to gather the porcelain tea set off the table and out of the living room, towards the kitchen. Star stood up quickly and followed him. She needed answers,and so far, it looked like this guy had them.

"Wait a second!" She said. "We still have lots of questions, and we're not letting you leave until you answer them." Johnathon pouted.

"Now, that's not very nice. And after how friendly I've been?" He sighed. "I just can't seem to catch a break."

"I'm sorry about this, but we really need to find Marco." Kalahari said, appearing next to her. "It could be a matter of life and death."

"One more thing we have in common."Johnathon sighed."Look, I want to find Marco just as much as you do. But if _I_ can't find him, then I don't think you have a snowball's chance in-"

"Hell?" A voice asked. Star's eyes widened and she spun around to see...her.

"Dash." Johnathon said fromin the kitchen. "You came in without an invitation. How rude."

"I do not need permission from the likes of you, traitor." Dash said, her voice low and vibrating, her eyes turning completely black.

"Now, now, what did we say about your temper?" Johnathon said. He stepped in front of Star, twirling a cane in his hand. Where had he gotten that?

"I'm here for the girl." Dash said, not even looking at Star, her voice sending chills down Star's body.

"First you enter my domain without invitation, then you threaten my guests." Johnathon said, _tsk_ ing. "I may have to take action against such disrespects."

"You don't want to fight me, Mage." Dash said, pulling her wolf's mask over her face.

"Are you serious? After everything I've been through, I've just had this incredible itch to hit something."

* * *

(No one's POV)

Tom paced in his castle, walking back and forth restlessly. It was bad enough that that wolf-thing had taken him down, but now someone else had too? He could barely what happened after Marco got angry. One second he had them on the ropes, the nest he was being revived down in the dungeons. None of this made any sense to him. Just what was so special about the Diaz boy in the first place?

"Hello, Tom." Said an all-too familiar voice. Tom spun around to see the black figure with the wolf face, standing not five feet away form him, in all his glory.

"You again?" He said, furious. "Just who are you anyways?"

The figure chuckled, the sound echoing in on itself throughout the entire castle, even though it was barely above a whisper. For first time in a while, perhaps ever, Tom felt...intimidated.

"You can call me Dash." He said. Tom clenched his fist. Every second he spent int this thing's presence just pissed him off more. "And I have something to speak with you about."

"Take your talking and shove it, _Dash_." Tom said, trying his best not to attack. "Even though I didn't do, I tried to kill Diaz. I failed. What else do you want?"

"Oh, but you didn't fail, little demon." He said, to which Tom gritted his teeth. "In fact, it was quite the opposite."

"I was supposed to kill Diaz, wasn't I?" Tom stepped back, caught off guard. "Well, as you can see, _quite the opposite_ happened."

"Yes, I did tell you to kill Diaz, didn't I?" The figure chuckled. "But, you see, I didn't _want_ him to die."

Tom was all out confused now. If Dash didn't want Marco to die, then why tell Tom to make an attempt on his life? Why "hire" an assassin, when you didn't want the victim assassinated. Unless...

"You knew I wouldn't be able to kill him, didn't you?" Tom asked, furrowing his brows.

"Oh, so there is some knowledge in that un-dead head of yours." Dash said, clapping slowly. "Very good." Tom growled, but kept himself controlled. He knew if it came to blows, he would lose, even if he went all out.

"But then why make me kill him? What was the point of that?" Tom asked. Dash shook his head.

"Because, Tommy boy, Marco has something in his possession. Something I desperately need. Something that could change the tides of existence as we know it." Dash slowly made his way around Tom, around him towards the throne. Tom stayed in his spot, but never took his eyes off of him. "But you see, the problem was that it was all locked up inside of him, the potential of it hidden. What needed to happen was that it needed to be unlocked. You see, there is no greater motivator for humans than survival."

"...So, I was just your pawn, then?" Tom felt the fire rising in him. He started not to care if he could be beaten. All he wanted to do was kill this guy.

"No, Tommy. You were my knight. Just one in a very convoluted chess game. One that helped me change the tides of my game." Tom could see the red rising around him. He was going to attack this guy, he was going to maim him. He was going to kill him. "Which brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, yeah?" Tom's demonic power was at it's peak. He could see Dash had stopped moving in front of his throne. What was with this guy? Walking in here like he owned him, like he was better. He wasn't. Tom was. He wasn't going to let this asshole come in here and walk around like it was his castle.

"Yes, Tom. I want you to continue being my knight. In return, I shall deliver the one thing you always wanted." He said. Tom raised his fist, getting ready to throw a punch.

"Oh yeah, and what exactly is that?" He asked. Dash raised his hand. Tom got low, expected some kind of attack. But Dash didn't attack him. Instead, he touched the mask, and it started to melt. Fading away into the rest of the suit. Long blonde hair fell onto his shoulders. No, not him...her. Dash slowly moved the hand that was concealing her face, and when Tom saw it, he lost all the fight. Nothing but shock was left now.

"...Star?" He asked. Star smiled at him, the glow of her perfect teeth. Tom could do nothing but stare at her. "But...you...what are you..."

"Continue being my knight, sweet Tom." She said, but not with the same tone as before. This time she was said it like she used to. Lovingly. "And I will be your queen."


	20. The Short Life of the Stranger

Marco laid suspended in mid-air as a thin glowing circle passed around him. The green light it shone was nearly blinding to him, and where it showed up on his body tingled in a way he was sure was unhealthy. Everything else around the light was nothing but shadows that he couldn't see through. He closed his eyes and just rest for a second, going through what happened in the past month of his life over and over. It was strange how things happened. Was this really his destiny? To be wrapped up in all of this, to be a soldier, till the day he died? Come to think of it, even when he wanted to go against whatever they told, even when he said he would leave, he would _always_ get pulled back in. Just what the hell was he even doing here in the first place?

The more he though about it, the more it bothered him. Everything's been so strange nowadays. It was...infuriating. Nothing made sense to him. Hell, he could't make sense of Star, how the hell was he going to make sense of all this. It seemed to him like nothing was consistent anymore. Not Star, not him, not the people around him. He didn't understand just what the hell he was supposed to do.

"Oh, my god, Marco!" A familiar voice yelled. Marco's eyes opened and looked to his left, to see Chelsea standing there. Her eyes were red and watery, it was obvious that she had been crying. Her hair was messy and her makeup was runny. How long had he been gone?

Mason stood a little ways behind her, looking more pissed than relieved. He was wearing a business type suit, black suit and tie with a white button-up shirt. The only thing was that the legs of his pants were muddy and ripped below the knees, like he'd been walking through a field of muddy cacti. Marco wasn't exactly sure what had gone down with him, but with the expression on his face he wasn't about to ask. The pair walked up next to him in the circle of light.

"And just where the hell where you?" Mason asked through gritted teeth. Marco looked at him for a second, not sure how to answer without pissing him off. Maybe he should answer truthfully. But then again, maybe he shouldn't tell them. It is supposed to be a secret after all. But, then again, who would it hurt.

"With the head of Arc Angel." He said, turning his up to look at the ceiling. Marco could feel something strange, but he wasn't sure what. He wasn't even sure if it was real, or just him being paranoid. He wasn't sure of anything. Even the things he was supposed to be sure of were lost to him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Chelsea was worried half to death looking for you, and of all places, you show up at a goddamn dentist's office? Just what in the hell is your major malfunction?" Mason said. Marco didn't answer, just kept looking up at the sky. He thought he knew what he was doing, but it was really just the same problem he had been having since square one.

He had no goddamn idea what to do.

"Mason, please stop." Chelsea said. Marco looked back over to the red-headed girl standing next to him. She was looking down, but he could see the stains of tears on her cheeks, commented by black streaks of mascara. Marco realized that he had done this, he had made her cry like this. Even when he did virtually nothing, he still managed to hurt the people close to him. He struggled to find the right words to comfort her. He didn't know what to tell her that would be true. He could only say the best things they were to say right now.

"...I'm sorry, Chelsea. I know you were worried. I won't do it again."

She looked at him, her tear filled eyes now accented with anger. Her hands curled into fists and they shook. After a few moments of silence, Chelsea turned away from him and walked to the door, her steps quick paced.

"Come find me when you have something." She said, opening and slamming the door behind her. Marco stared at the spot where she had disappeared. She had every right to be angry, he didn't blame her at all. He was angry at himself. And although it was selfish and cold, he just wished he didn't care as much as he did that she was.

It occurred to Marco that this was the first time he had seen her like this. He had only known her for a handful of weeks, but this seemed so different from the girl she usually was. _Is this all because of me?_ He asked himself.

"That's it? That's the best you can come up with? 'I won't do it again'? What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull?" Mason said. Marco didn't answer. He had nothing to say, nothing he could say to make anything better. "I know you hate being here. I get it, I really do. But even if you hate it for the rest of your life, could you at least _act_ like you want to help. If not for the innocents we're trying to save or even for yourself, then for her. Because you're the only piece of hope she has left right now, that anyone has left right now." Marco suddenly felt anger bubble up from inside him. "And if-"

"WHY?!" He yelled, standing up quickly, free from the pull of the light. "WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ME?! BECAUSE OF YOU PEOPLE, I'VE LIED, I'VE HID, I'VE KIDNAPPED, AND SOMEONE I CARED ABOUT ENDED UP DEAD." Marco walked right up to where Mason. "I was free. I was happy. I was in control of my life. Now I don't even have a choice as to how I live."

"Listen to yourself!" Mason yelled. "I get where you're coming from, but the entire time, all I'm hearing is me, me, me. What about everyone else? The people your supposed to help, the people who are relying on you?"

"Name one person I've 'helped' at all while I was with you. Name one person whose life was saved because of me." Marco was talking out of pure anger.

"Chelsea." Mason said, as calmly as could be, which just pissed Marco off more.

"She doesn't count, and you know it." Marco said trough gritted teeth.

"Bullshit. Don't devalue her life just because your a little upset at the way things are going." He said.

"I'm not devaluing anything! The only reason she was hurt was because Tom was after me! I was the reason she was hurt in the first place."

"Grow up Marco. Stop acting like a toddler and get some sense, because if you don't bad things are gonna happen." Marco had nothing to say. He was so consumed in anger that he couldn't even make words. He simply stepped past Mason and started to walk off.

"Marco." Mason said, to which Marco ignored. "MARCO!" He yelled. This time Marco stopped and turned quickly, not planning to actually listen to what he had to say.

It was then he noticed that Mason moved from that spot the entire time they were arguing. He had stayed in the light.

"What is it?" Marco asked. There was a few moments of silence were no one spoke. They just stared at each other with equal amounts of anger in their eyes, the tension in the room building up to a level where he could almost feel himself chocking on it. They continued to stare, not a single word being spoken between them. Marco could feel a bit of the anger start to fade, but it wasn't enough to stop him from seething.

"Mom, dad, please stop fighting." Someone said of to the distance.

"We're just having an argument Justin." Mason said, still looking at Marco. "What do you want?"

Just steeped into Marco's peripheral vision, but Marco wasn't really paying attention to him.

"I needed to find you guys. I...got some bad news." He said. Mason sighed, closing his eyes and breaking eye contact.

"Justin, whatever it is, it can wait until later." Mason said. Marco looked at Justin, who shook his head.

"It really can't." He said. "Marco, you'll want to hear this, too." Justin said.

"Is it really that important?" Mason asked. Justin's head fell as he looked at the ground, and Marco could see the sadness etched in his face.

"...What happened?" Marco asked, his anger completely worn out. Justin kept quiet for a few more seconds before answering.

"Kat's dead." He said simply. Marco froze, completely caught off guard.

"Who is this Kat?" Mason asked, completely being ignored by both Marco and Justin.

"What do you mean she's dead?" Marco asked. Justin shook his head.

"I mean she's dead! Gone! Extinct! How else do you want me to put it?!" Justin yelled. Marco could hear the hitches in his voice, and felt empathetic. He felt for Justin, but he was unsure how he should have reacted to this. He knew he should be sad, but he had barely known her. It wasn't like what happened with Janna. He had known her, had even been close to her. But it wasn't like Kat was his friend. She was just someone who looked like his mom to him.

Still, he needed to comfort Justin in some way.

"How...what exactly..." He didn't know how to ask this. It seemed so uncaring, but it was the best thing he could come up with. "Did she...feel anything?"

Suddenly, Justin came at him, lifting him by the neck of his shirt. Looking down on him, Marco could see the red in his eyes, the grief that was in him.

"What the hell? What gives you any right to ask that?" Justin said through gritted teeth. Marco couldn't even get angry at him, not the way he was now.

"Justin...please...the last thing she would have wanted-"

"WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT SHE WANTED?!" He yelled, tears welling up in his eyes. "YOU DON'T HAVE A GODDAMNED CLUE!"

"You're right, I don't. But I do know she doesn't want us fighting each other." He said. "I was out of line. I get that now. But I'm only trying to help."

"Who said I needed your help?" Justin said. Marco could feel his hold getting weaker. Marco just gave the friendliest smile he could.

"Who said you didn't?" Marco asked. Justin stared at him a few moments, then laughed, the anger in his face being replaced by a friendly look.

"Man, why can't I stay mad at you?" He said, dropping Marco. "Kat was right, you are a good guy...for the most part. Written well."

"Thanks...I guess." Marco said. "And don't worry. I'm sure she's in a good place."

"Yeah." Justin said, looking down again. "Yeah, I bet she is."

Marco put a hand on Justin's shoulder, and just then he realized something. _I've been a huge douche. The first thing I should do is apologize to Mason, and then to Chelsea._

"And for the record, no, she didn't feel any pain." Justin said. Marco gave his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

"Well, that's-"

"It was in her sleep." He said. Justin looked up at Marco with eyes of not grief or sadness, but...pity.

"...She had a heart attack."


	21. Fight of Mages: One

Star stood behind Johnathon, eyeing the girl who looked like her, yet wasn't her. Kalahari was holding one arm in front of her in a sweet, yet pointless, attempt to protect her. Star had one hand on her wand, which was concealed in the back of her skirt, but she dare not move. Johnathon and Dash simply stood there for what seemed like an eternity. Star could feel the tension in the room slowly rising around her as these two mysterious and frightening beings exchanged silent words.

Star felt a chill run come over her. No, it was more than just a chill. Star could feel...wind. Star looked down at her skirt, which had begun to move on it's own. Star looked up, and could see the wind start to rise. Pictures were starting to move and bang against the wall, papers flying off of tables and counter tops. But it didn't stop there.

The wind kept getting stronger and stronger, to the point where Star had to squint her eyes. The roar of it was deafening, filling Star's head. She could barely see in this wind, and started to crouch down and cover her eyes with one arm, the other getting out her wand.

"ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" Kalahari yelled over the sound of the wind, barely audible. Star shook her head. This was magic, but it wasn't her magic. She didn't have this much control over it, and even if she did, her magic always produced some sort of light when activated.

Star forced herself to look at the two beings in front of her. They were both standing there, still as statues, unaffected by the wind. Johnathon's coat flapped wildly in the wind as he stood there.

"Star? Kalahari?" Johnathon said, his voice somehow clear above the wind, though it sounded like he was talking normally. "Please forgive me, but it looks like I'll have to destroy this house just a little bit."

Star was filled with confusion, as Johnathon raised one hand up to the tip of his hat. With one swift move, his arm quickly extended out to the side.

And the house was destroyed.

Wood and metal, stray pieces of furniture flew all around in the tornado that completely surrounded them. Star looked up, and she could see no end to the column of air that reached seemingly thousands of feet high. The roar was gone, as if someone had pressed the mute button, though she could still feel the force of the wind on her. Star had no idea what was going on. But she recognized this type of power.

Johnathon...was a magic user.

"Mumfred, please take care of my guests." Johnathon said. Without warning, his cane flew in front of Star and Kalahari, suspended in mid air. It stayed frozen for just a moment before it started to spin. It picked up speed, and before they knew it, it was completely encircling them, rotating and spinning so fast that Star could've sworn that they were in a solid ball, if it were not for the occasional twitch on the cane's part.

"So, shall we start?" Johnathon said, as he was seemingly being lifted off the ground by an invisible force. "Our last fight was inconclusive...Let's change that."

For a moment, Dash did nothing. It occurred to Star that this entire time, Dash had simply stood there and watched this happen. When she did speak, it was with the demonic voice that was her.

"So, it's true. You've mastered the Wind. And if that's true, it must be true that you mastered Lighting as well." Dash said. Johnathon, looking down on her from the skies, returned with silence, signaling that she must be right. "You're not only a traitor to the cause, but to our people."

"Impossible." Johnathon said. "I was never on your side." There was a small fizz sound, and then suddenly, Johnathon's jacket was ripped apart. Star's eyes widened as she saw him hovering high above the ground, his arms covered with red lightning. "I was on mine."

"You have been tried with treason, Mage." Dash said. "The penalty for such...is death." Johnathon raised his arms up, the lightning sparking in resistance.

"Here I stand. I can do no other." He said.

For a few moments, no one did anything. They were complete silent.

Suddenly, Johnathon threw his hand forward. A bolt of lightning shot at Dash. She moved, and the bolt ended up hitting empty space. Star tried to follow Dash, and although Dash was still a blur, she was slow enough for Star to see. Lightning shots followed the blur along the inner edge of the tornado, where stray pieces of furniture where immediately destroyed in an explosion when touched. Star saw Dash's blur somehow start moving up, jumping off the various pieces of flying furniture. A stray lightning shot flew at Star, and she pulled her wand up to deflect it. Suddenly, it changed direction. Star froze as she saw it chase after Dash.

"Is this what you're resorting too? Cheap tricks?" Dash yelled. Johnathon smirked, and raised both hands, the lightning gathering up in a ball. After a few seconds, it was massive, big enough to scrape the sides of the tornado.

"Nothing cheap about this trick, Darling." Johnathon said. He threw his hands down, the lightning blasting at Dash, completely covering the ground in a blinding flash. Star flinched and fell in on herself, using her arms as a shield. Kalahari jumped on top of her, trying to protect her from the aftermath of the battle. The light only lasted a second, and when it was gone Star sat up. All the ground around them had been scorched, and was two feet lower than it was supposed to be, save for the spot she and Kalahari were sitting in.

Johnathon's body was now completely enveloped in red lightning, like he was wearing a suit of it. It was so thick that Star couldn't see under it.

"So, you think that lightning is enough to stop me?" Dash said, suddenly next to them. Star's head whipped around and she backed up, holding her wand out in front of her.

"Emerald Snake Blast!" Star yelled.

But nothing happened. Star looked at he wand closely, and even checked the battery, but it was completely fine.

"Magic doesn't work inside Mumfred's shield, Star." Johnathon said. "It's pointless to try."

"To be fair," Dash said, looking straight at her, "It's not the worst mistake she's made." Star felt fear rise in her as she stared into the all black eyes of Dash.

"Hey." Johnathon said, and suddenly Dash was flying, hit by a bolt of Johnathon's lightning. "Don't turn your back on someone during a fight. It's rude." Dash landed with such a force that she created a crater in the ground where the impact was made. A cloud of dust raised around her, and for a second it seemed that the fight was over.

Suddenly, the dust flew apart with a violent force, and Star saw a black flash fly up at Johnathon, who barely dodged it. It hit the wall of the tornado and exploded in a ball of blue lightning. Though she couldn't see it, Star could tell Johnathon smirked under the lightning.

"Finally, it seems you're taking me seriously." Johnathon said. Dash walked stiffly to the center of the tornado, rubble and blue lightning rising around her. Dash faced up at Johnathon.

"Make no mistake, Mage." Dash said. "I will kill you. And then I will kill her. And it will be a glorious death for the both of you."


	22. Fight of Sages: Two

Marco ran down the tiled hallways, rushing past patients and hospital workers, ignoring the pleas of the doctors and nurses to slow down. His heart raced at a thousand miles per hour, and his heart was stuck in his throat. Only a few minutes ago had he heard the news of what happened.

He turned a corner and stumbled a few steps. He righted himself and continued his way to the emergency room.

* * *

Star covered her ears as a sonic boom resonated inside the vortex. Star watched the show in front of her, as the red and blue bolts of lightning collided with each other in a large explosion of light. They flew apart as soon as the touched, and then came back at each other again.

Stray lightning shot in every direction, some hitting the shield surrounding her and Kalahari. The entire area lit up red and blue, and Star had to squint against the bright flashing of red and blue. The blue streaked suddenly flew up and came down quickly on the red, visibly shortening the stream of red.

* * *

Marco collapsed on his knees, suddenly coughing up a large amount of blood. He covered his mouth with his left forearm. He breathed hard as he struggled to get back to his feet. He continued down the hall in a stumbling pace.

* * *

The color of red shot up against the blue, traveling high into the sky. They seemed to hang there in the air, the lightning gone just long enough for Star to see the two fighters. Then both came crashing down. The collided with the ground in an explosion of colors, the intensity of the light physically paining Star. After a moment, she opened her eyes to see that a gigantic cloud of dust had appeared, the aftermath of the crash.

What really scared her was the fact that even witnessing the battle hurt her. She had no idea what would happen if she was actually in it. Their speed was incredible, Star couldn't even follow it. _What kind of magic is this?_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly, the dust dispersed almost instantly, and the battle field was clear. The ground around them had been completely turned into a giant crater, save the dirt where she and Kalahari was sitting, relatively hovering above ground now.

"Their power is amazing." Kalahari said next to her. "They aren't even using any wands. Have you ever done anything like this?"

Star could only shake her head as she looked onto the two figures standing deep in the crater. Johnathon was surrounded by red lightning, clearly visible in the shadow of the crater, while Dash stood in the sun covered by red lightning. For a while, no one moved. Star could see Johnathon's lips moving from where she sat, but she could not make out what they were saying.

"How are they doing this? How are they this powerful?" Kalahari asked. Star only shook her head as she looked on the battle.

Suddenly, Dash flew forward in her blue lightning and collided with Johnathon, crashing him into the wall of the crater and causing the rocks to crack.

* * *

Marco fell to his knees again, an incredible pain ripping through him. _What's going on?_ He thought as more blood came out of his mouth.

But he couldn't stop. He had to be there.

* * *

The entire right side of the ground was completely destroyed. Even though the area inside the tornado was large, the destruction was so large that Star could momentarily see the outside from under the tornado, before it fell to cover the opening. Johnathon flew up in his red lightning, far above the ground. He hovered there for a second and pulled one of his arms behind his back, as if he was getting ready to punch.

"DORAGONFISUTO!" He yelled suddenly, then flew down at Dash.

An immense amount of lightning followed suit, a large trail following him. But when he collided with Dash, the trail of lightning suddenly expanded, and blue light filled the entire vortex, surrounding Star and Kalahari completely. Star could actually feel the heat of the light burning her, she was forced to close her eyes. She could feel Kalahari cover her body with his own.

The blast lasted at least two minutes, and the entire time, Star was afraid to move. She could feel the immense magical power that was pushing down on her. She never felt magic so powerful before. It was like she was under fire from ten of her wands. She felt a mix of awe and fear bubble from inside her as she witnessed this awesome display of power.

Finally, the magic started to dissipate. Star could feel the weight come off her, and the heat started to cool. Star looked down at herself. Her clothes looked fine, and she didn't see any bruises or scratches on her. She looked back at Kalahari and saw that he was fine as well, although he looked completely terrified. Looking in front of her, Star could see that the tornado was gone, but the sky was blacked out by dust. There was complete silence around her, the only sounds coming from her and Kalahari. Star couldn't see anything through the dust cloud that settled before her.

With an audible whine, the shield surrounding them started to disappear as the cane started to slow it's movements. It flickered, and soon Star could see the cane now. It continued to slow until it was eventually hanging in the air in front of them. For a second it continued to hover there, until it fell to the ground with a metallic thunk. Star slowly stood up, Kalahari following suit.

Star looked around them, fully taking in the destruction that had followed in the aftermath of the battle. The Diaz house was gone. So was their lawn and backyard. Not a single sign that they had lived here was left. Instead, a giant hole in the ground took place of the household that was so precious to Star. Star took a reluctant step forward, attempting to go closer to the edge of the crater.

Looking down, Star could see how far the crater really went down. Kalahari looked down with her.

"That's at least 18 feet deep." Kalahari said. "who the hell are these guys?"

" I don't know." Star said. "And you constantly asking questions isn't helping."

"I'm sorry, it's just...I just can't comprehend what's going on right now." Kalahari said. "We need to get out of here. Marco isn't here, so let's just leave."

Star frowned. She came all this way from Marco. She knew Dash wanted him, and she knew that Dash was powerful, but she had no idea that she was this powerful. Dash had already hurt Marco once. She couldn't let that girl lay a hand on Marco again. Clenching her fist, Star grabbed her wand and started to walk around the crater.

"Star?" Kalahari asked, quickly moving to follow. "Star?! What are you doing?"

"Ending this." Star said simply, continuing her walk.

"Star, were you not just watching what happened? Did you not _feel_ what happened? She is too powerful. I know you have a lot of magic, but is it really enough to compete with these people?" He asked. Star sighed.

"I know how powerful they are. And one of them is after me and Marco." Star said. "We have to at least _see_ if she can be beaten."

"Star, no offense, but this is a _horrible_ idea. And She's not after you, she's just after Marco. We can still get out of here." Kalahari said. Star stopped and turned suddenly to face him, which caused him to stumble back a little at the change of pace.

"Look, she's after Marco. Regardless of... _whatever's_ happening between me and him, he is still my best friend. I can't let her hurt him." She said. Kalahari sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand."I know you're scared, and that's alright. You can leave. But I have to do this. For him"

Kalahari closed his eyes and bowed his head, getting lost in thought. He was mumbling something under his breath, though Star could not make it out.

"What am I doing?" Kalahari whispered. "All right, let's go." He said, straightening. Star gave him a small smile. "But if I die, I swear I will haunt you."

* * *

Marco's body shook as he tried to stand up, feeling lightheaded and sore. Multiple voices were speaking around him. Random strangers were grabbing him and holding him up, trying to figure out what was wrong. Marco was breathless and his lungs hurt, but he still tried to talk.

"...I...need to...see..." Marco managed to get out, before nausea forced its way up his throat. He fell to the ground, the sour metallic taste of vomit and blood filling his mouth and exiting in a violent manner. He struggled to keep a hold of his energy, he could feel his body start to give up on him.

"Sir, what is wrong?" Some random woman asked him. "Sir, are you okay?" Marco decided to try and talk again, before he passed out.

"Please...my...mom...I..." That's all he could get out before his mind let him go.

Before the world went black, though, he swore he could see a little girl standing in front of him.

* * *

Star took one slow step at a time, carefully making her way through the cloud that overcame everything. Kalahari close behind,constantly looking around for any sign of Dash or Johnathon. Star kept her wand extended in front of her in preparation for a fight. Suddenly, the days of fighting Ludo and his goons didn't seem so bad. The only time Star had ever felt as powerless as she did now was when Marco was kidnapped by Toffee.

Except now, there was no plan, or any way to actually beat the enemy.

"Well, _that's_ reassuring." Kalahari said.

"Not now, Kalahari." Star said. Looking up, she realized she needed to clear the view a bit. She pointed her wand to the sky. "Rainbow Wind Beam!" She yelled, to which a rainbow shot out of her wand and curled around the area, blowing the all the dust away.

"You couldn't have done that before?"Kalahari asked. Star shrugged.

"I was preoccupied. Now shush." She said, Looking down and around the area where the Diaz home used to be. A large crowd of policemen and civilians had gathered on the streets, just a few feet safe from the carnage. Almost all were pointing or taking pictures and videos. Star looked into the crowd and saw many familiar faces, but there was of course no Marco. Although Star was a little disappointed, she was still relived.

"You know," Someone said suddenly behind them. Star jumped forward and turned quickly, her wand raised firm in front of her. Kalahari stood with his fist raised in front of his face, though they were shaking. Dash was standing in front of them, her suit torn in multiple places and blood visible. "Under any other circumstance, I would be pissed off right now. But I simply cannot find the energy for it."

"What do you want with Marco?" Star asked. Star could see one of Dash's eyes through a tear in her suit, but it somehow made her even _more_ intimidating.

"I want peace." She said. "I want freedom. I want to live." Dash took a step forward. "I want to live a day, just _one day_ , where I can feel happy! Where I can feel compassion!" Dash took another step, to which Star subconsciously took one back. "I want laugh, love, feel! I want to be my own person!"

"What does he have to do with that?" Star asked. Dash kept walking slowly towards them,causing them to retreat further and further.

"I want to be able to not want to hurt something. I want to be able to feel like a person." She said. Suddenly, Dash was gone, and Star was lifted off the ground by her. Dash was holding the neck of her dress in both her fist, chocking Star. "WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LIKE THIS? GIVE ME AN ANSWER! WHY?!"

Kalahari ran and tackled Dash, bringing all three of them to the ground. Star felt her head hit a protruding rock. Her senses vanished for half a second, before the stinging pain made way into her brain. She rolled over with her face planted in the ground, wincing at the pulsating that was going on in her head. Somewhere out there, she heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh, and a large groan of pain.

"FUCK OFF DRACONIAN!" Dash said. Star groaned as she forced herself to get on her knees. Suddenly Star felt a hand roughly grab the back of her neck and forced her to look up. Star looked up into the face of Dash, somewhat blinded by the sun. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, YOU PIECE OF SH-!"

She never got to finish, because Kalahari had tackled her again. Star grabbed the back of her neck where it ached, and quickly looked around for her wand. Star couldn't see it anywhere around her.

"Looking for this?" Dash said. Star looked towards her quickly. Dash had Star's wand in her left hand, with her right foot on Kalahari's throat. Star could see his face turning red from the chocking.

"Get off of him!" Star said, standing up. Dash laughed.

"Always the same thing with you, isn't it?" Dash said. "In case you somehow forgot how this goes, I'll give you to gist of things. The wand, or the boy. Choose one, or both go away. Forever."

Star shook from anger, clenching her fists.

"...S...Star..." Kalahari chocked out.

"Just...give me a minute." Star said.

"I'm afraid you don't have that long, Star." Dash said, and pointed to the crater with her free hand. Against her better judgement, Star looked.

" _Hehehe._ " The familiar voice echoed from the crater. " _Oh, it's good to be back._ "

A hand came over the crater, which was quickly followed by a body that flew several feet above the ground and then landed on the ground with barely a sound. From that distance, Star could tell it was Johnathon walking towards them.

 _No, wait. Something's different._ Star's eyes widened as she noticed all the changes in him. AS he got closer, Star could see that his skin was a mix of different shades of purple plastered all over. He looked up at her, his eyes pure black orbs. When he smiled, he revealed a mouth full of sharp teeth. That was...

"...Monster Arm?"


	23. Death of a Suitor

(Marco's POV)

Marco laid there suspended in midair, looking around the new environment he was in. There was nothing around him. Not ground but he felt he could stand. No light, but he thought he could see. No walls, but he felt as if he was being crushed in a small space. Just an endless black void all around him. Although it terrified him, Marco felt strangely at peace here. There was nothing bothering him. Nothing hurting. Nothing slipping away. No need for control. No need to worry. He let himself float there, staring straight ahead.

"Hello." It was the voice of a little girl. Looking to his left, he saw her gloating there. She was cross-legged as if she was sitting on the ground, but she wasn't sitting on anything. She had impossibly long hair, darker than the void that existed around her. She wore a dress of black that made it near impossible to tell she had a body. Her eyes were a glowing red that pierced their way into his soul.

"Hello." Marco said. He had no idea what else to say. Looking around, he asked: "Where am I?"

"This is my realm." She said, floating close to him. "You would call it purgatory."

"...So...I'm dead?" He asked. The little girl shook head, taking his right hand in hers. She turned and laid out straight in mid-air. Marco was suddenly pulled forward along with her. His body laid out straight in the void, but he could feel wind pushing against his face. He looked to where they were...floating to, he guessed. But there was nothing there.

"You're time is not yet. Though in a way, yes, you did die." She said. The void around them started to brighten. He watched as the space in front of them morphed into a glowing gold color. Everything else around them was a kind of blue. "There is something that needs your attention. Normally, I try my best to refrain from interfering with the world of the living. But a new threat has made itself known that I cannot let exist."

"So you want me to kill it?" Marcos asked her. He did not look at the girl in front of him. The cold darkness of her was now almost painful compared to the warm light around him.

"Yes." She said. Marco started to float forward a little slowly, until he was at her side. "Fortunately, there was a situation in which I was temporarily able to grab you from the world of the living. I need you to do this. Otherwise, thousands will continue to perish exceedingly."

"Wait," Marco said, finally looking at her, "who are you?" She looked at him, the ghost of amusement in her piercing red eyes, but her face remaining still.

"I truly do not know." She said. "But you're people have called me many names. I think the one that describes me best is 'Ghost.'"

"Is that what you are? A ghost?" Marco asked.

"I am simply a guide. No less human than you." She answered. The gold light started to spread around them. Soon it enveloped them completely, yet the girl remained as dark as when she was in the void. "Though I am afraid I am forced to break that role. I would have avoided this if possible."

"What are you taking about?" Marco asked. He started to feel his mind come back to him. It was not as if it was gone, just...dormant. They slowed and shifted so that they were once again hovering up.

Now the gold around them had been replaced by an amazing sight. Around them were the stars of the night sky, but Marco had never seen them this bright. It's as if each one had a different light to shine. Each pierced a veil of darkness surrounding them. There was complete silence except for his breathing. Slowly he reached out and attempted to touch a star. Instead, where he touched rippled, stars and all. As if he touched the surface of a pond.

"Look." She said. Marco turned to the sound of her voice, and in front of them he saw the earth.

He could see the clouds, the sea, the land. The sun came up from behind it, but it did not shine in his eyes. It moved quickly, and soon it was daylight on the planet. He saw how the tides moved in the sea, how the clouds shifted and flew through the sky without a care in the world. He could make out the outline of every large building and street. Looking at how massive the earth was, and how infinite the space around them was, Marco thought he could understand how small he really was in the universe. Marco stared for a moment, then looked to Ghost.

"Why are you showing me this?" He asked.

"Because, you have to understand." She said, letting go of his hand. "This is what is in danger. This is what you have to protect. This, and everything in, on, and around it."

"But why? Why me?" He asked. She looked at him.

"Because you are one of the few with the power. I've looked deep inside you, and I have seen a great power. Something more than what you have been told." She said. She looked away from him and back to the planet that lay in front of them. He followed suit. "The evil that is in this world will continue to harm and kill. They cannot be reasoned with, for they think themselves to be righteous, even under the command of some god. They do not even know the evil they are doing."

"So you want me to fight them?" He asked. She shook her head.

"If you are to fight them, more will die." She said. Marco looked at her.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" He asked.

"You will figure that out. I will provide you with information, nothing else." She said. "If they are allowed to continue their operation, a great war will overtake the many universe that exist. They will kill themselves, the innocent, their allies, and their enemies all the same. And they will not care." She took a pause, as if allowing Marco to take all that information in."To defeat them, you will have to merge with your irregular."

"...What? Isn't...he, or whatever, the darkest parts of my soul?" he said. _Or...something like that_ , he thought.

"A lie used to brainwash new recruits. They are no less human than you or I. They are reflections of our deepest fears and secrets, yes, but this is forced on them at birth. Many of them suffer immensely from all the darkness that is forced into their minds. They cannot stop it, not by themselves. Many have chosen death over existing in such a way." She said. Marco blinked, and turned look back to the earth. "Have you seen any evidence to suggest they are as evil as you have heard?"

"...No." He said. In truth he had not. He had only met two, although briefly, and they never acted evil or as something dark.

"Many live on this belief. But you have witnessed one truth. When you merge, you accept parts or yourself that others run from or ignore. You become better. Besides, their life force and your's are tied. If one is to die, so is the other." She said. "In fact, that is the very reason you are here. You irregular has been brought to a point where his mind and soul have perished. But his body still exists, within it the evil you encountered long ago is set free."

"So...I'm dead because he died?" Marco asked. "Wait,what evil are you talking about?"

"Yes to the first question." Ghost said. As if it was a simple thing. "You will find the answer to the second question in a few moments." Marco frowned at her, knowing that she was avoiding the question.

"But...what about Dash? If I fight her..."

"Any harm you inflict on her will be inflicted on her regular, Star Butterfly." She said. The stress of the situation weighing his head down. He saw that the moon was right beneath his feet. He could see the light and dark side. But he could not see where the light ended and the shadow began.

"So...I really can't fight them." He said.

"They are not the ones you are to be fighting." She said. Marco looked up at her. "The only reason they are here is to free themselves from the regulars. The simply wish to cast out the darkness that exists in them."

"If so, then why attack me? Why turn to violence when they could have just...I don't know, anything else?" He asked, becoming annoyed.

"I do not know the reasons for this. I am simply telling you what you need to know." She said. "He will be summoned here and you will merge."

"Hey, just a second. What makes you think I'll listen to anything you say? For all I know, you could've been lying to me this entire time." Marcos said. Ghost looked at him in a slight annoyance, but the expression on her face made it seem all the power of hell was behind it. Marco felt an instant fear grab him.

"I do not lie." She said. "You will do these things because it is your destiny. Deep in your heart, you know it. This is your calling." She said. "Forget that prophecy you've been told, or whatever your family said you were going to be when you grow up. You are the protector of this world. That is who you are."

"What if it's not who I want to be?" Marco asked. "People keep telling me that I have to be this great hero, but do I even get a choice in it?"

"I sympathize with you." She said. And somehow, he believed it. "But I'm afraid if you don't accept this destiny, thousands of innocent lives will perish."

"I understand that! It's just...I want a choice. Even if I choose that, I want to be able to have some freedom." He said. Ghost was silent for a moment, then she turned her body towards him.

"Very well." She said, to Marco's confusion. "Marco Diaz, I ask you. Will you save the thousands of lives of both regulars and irregulars alike, innocents victim to a cruel fate? Will you accept the power to free people from the chains of suffering that they are tied down? Will you surrender your destiny..." She turned her head and looked at the earth, "...so that they may have the freedom to choose theirs?"

Marco suddenly thought about all his friends back on earth. Jackie, Star, Alfonso, Ferguson. His parents. Chelsea, Mason, even Justin. He thought about Ichelx and Kat, about Janna who he couldn't save. He thought about all the people who he didn't know that were innocent. All the people that could end up like Janna if he didn't do something about it. He was going to do this. Didn't matter if he liked how it turned out for him or not, his conscious wouldn't allow him to refuse this anymore. Not when someone could die, especially when there was supposed to be so many people at stake.

"...Fine. I'll do it." He said.

"That is a good decision, though I understand not an easily made one." She said, turning back to him. "Your irregular will be here at any moment. I suggest you prepare to merge."

"Just...one question." Marco asked. "What happens now?"

"Well, the merging process is to be extremely difficult and energy draining. But there is the body of your irregular to deal with when you return to earth.'

"No, I mean...who am I fighting? Why?" He asked. She looked at him with a face of pity.

"...The enemy you look for is known throughout the universe as Arch Angel." She said. Marco blinked, taking a step back in shock.

"No...no, they're the good guys. They're about helping people and saving lives." He said. Ghost stepped closer to him.

"You do not believe me. Perhaps that is wise for you future. But, I am telling the truth." She said. "If you do not believe me, go to your friend Chelsea..."

"...ask her what happened to Janna Ordonia."

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star stood there looking at the dark figure that was in possession of both her wand and her friend. She looked back and forth between them, not knowing what to do or how to react.

"Time's almost up here, Butterfly. What will it be? Your wand or your friend?" She asked,twirling the wand in between her fingers.

"Uh..." Star didn't answer. She was hesitating.

" _Staaaaar!_ " Monster arm sang. Star looked over at the crater where he stood. He was stepping slowly towards her, a sadistic smile plastered on his face. He opened his mouth and a long reptilian tongue came out, licking his lips. " _Come on, Staaaar!_ "

"Star, I believe your friend doesn't have that much time left." Dash said.

"Okay, okay, I..." Star looked at Kalahari there on the ground. She had to save him. It was the right thing to do. He was her friend, he had helped her through all this.

So why was she hesitating?

"Time is precious, Star. I would not suggest waiting too much longer." Dash said. Star breathed hard, trying to calm herself down and failing massively. "Are you really that afraid to lose your wand you would sacrifice your friend?"

"No!" Star yelled. Dash laughed.

"Oh my god, this is precious. Although, I did not know what else to expect." Dash said. "Without this wand, you're not special. You're just like every other piece of shit that exists. A selfish, spoiled brat who can't help anyone but herself."

"What are you talking about?" Star asked, confused. Dash laughed again.

"Oh, but you know what would open your eyes?" Dash asked. Suddenly, she was right in front of Star's face. She could see where her eye had been was nothing but an empty darkness.

"...Checking your privilege." The demonic voice said.

Dash was standing away from her again. Kalahari was standing up, Dash holding his neck in one hand. Star gasped and instinctively reached for her wand, but all she grabbed was air. She gritted her teeth, but did not dare to move.

"This is what you are!" Dash yelled. "A helpless little brat, who can do nothing but bring people along to get hurt! But this time, he won't get back up!" Suddenly, Dash thrust her hand forward. Star gasped as she saw Dash's hand come out the front of his stomach. Kalahari made a gasping motion, a spew of blood coming out from his mouth. He fell to the ground and Dash disappeared.

Star stood frozen for a moment, then ran up to his side. She fell to the ground on her knees. Tears started to stream down her face as she hovered her hands over his face, not sure what to do to help. Kalahari's breath became ragged, blood littering his face and torso. It started to seep into the exposed dirt on the ground, staining it red. He reached a shaky hand up to Star's and took a hold of it.

"Hey...Star?" He asked shakily. She nodded, not able to get out a word through the block in her throat. "Remember...all those...when we stopped talking."

"...Y-...yeah..." She said, tears starting to flood harder. His eyes started to flicker and his breath became more shallow. His grip started to weaken, but he still held on.

"Do...do you...forgive me?" He asked, his voice almost to the point of a whisper.

"Of course I do." She said, trying to keep her voice steady. And failing."It's not even a question." Through his fading, Kalahari found the energy to let out a small laugh.

"Liar." He said, a smile on his face.

Kalahari's hand slipped out of Star's, hitting the ground with a thunk. His head fell to the side with empty eyes, staring at nothing. The blood stopped flowing from his body and his chest had stopped moving. But that smile was still on his face.

Star sat their frozen, her hand hanging in front of her face. Red littered her hand as tears hit her palm and started to wash it away. Her eyes drifted to Kalahahri as her vision became blurry through the tears.

"Hey? Kalahari?" She asked. He didn't answer. "You...you can't leave yet...you still have your...girlfriend at home...right?...you can't...leave..."


	24. Azi Dahaka

(Marco's POV)

"...What the hell are you talking about?" Marco asked. He made sure to keep his face stern, but Ghost did nothing but stare into his eyes with those blood-red orbs, as if she was studying the very depths of his soul. Just knowing she was looking at him was enough to send chills down his spine, but actually making eye contact was terrified him to his very core. She did not say a word, and Marco began to sweat. For the longest time, neither one said anything to the other.

"You heard very well what I said, Marco." Ghost said, turning to look at the earth. The break in eye contact lifted a weight off of Marco, one he gladly appreciated gone. "Ask Chelsea what happened to Janna Ordonia. I cannot tell you anything further." Ghost said all this with a straight face. The lack of emotion when she said that, as if it wasn't a big deal, succeeded only in making Marco angry. What right did she have to make an accusation like that? Chelsea had been Marco's friend, even if he didn't want to be a part of Arch Angel. Even if he didn't know everything about her. He knew her enough to know she wouldn't have killed Janna.

"I know what you're thinking." Ghost said, surprising Marco out of his thoughts. "You're thinking that I don't know what I'm talking about. That I do not know her, that she would not do something like that."

"Something like that." Marco grumbled. Ghost turned to him, those red eyes causing fear to grumble deep in Marco's stomach. He couldn't help but be afraid around this woman. Everything about her just made him feel...small. Uneasy. Like she could kill him at any moment without a second thought.

"Even so, Arch Angel is your enemy. And I only tell you to seek the truth behind Janna's death so that your emotions do not get the better when the situation is drastic. I am not telling yous she is lying, or that she killed the Ordonia girl. But she did have a part to play Janna's death." Ghost said. "Now is not the time to be angry. If you continue to stay here and argue with me, someone will die soon."

"Who? Not that I'm against saving someone, but who is so important that I have to rush off to save them?" Marco asked. Ghost was silent for a moment, and Marco was unsure if she was thinking about something or just trying to tick him off at this point.

"To be honest, her role is not an important one in the battle that is soon to take place. However, she is an imperative part in defeating what I fear is to come soon." Ghost said. She turned to Marco, an urgency in her otherwise emotionless voice. "Something far greater than what you or anyone are now ready for."

"...What do you mean?" Marco asked. But as soon as he did, the environment turned red. He looked around quickly in panic. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel something moving around him. Shifting, a overwhelming presence that hung over everything, threatening to crush him. He froze in his spot and fell to his knees. It was a massive presence, filled with murderous intent. He felt it grip at his center, taking hold of the very essence his being. he could barely hold himself up with his arms. And yet, he had a feeling that it wasn't all that was out there. Like it was...holding back.

"This is the danger we must prepare for. Although it is but a small part, what it can do...now only one person has hopes of beating it." She said. "You can gain to the power to fight this."

"W-what...what is it? It's...it's..." He couldn't even finish his sentence. The fear he was feeling clogged his throat, his heart pounding in his chest.

"It has many names. Lucifer, Cthulhu, Azi Dahaka. However, I only know it by it's ancient name. The name given to it by the old gods. The Red Death." Ghost raised her hand, and the being dispersed. "A being of unsatisfiable hunger. For centuries it lay dormant, secretly aggravating acts of terrorism or genocide. It is behind the corruption of Arch Angel." Marco felt the weight lift, the grip loosen. But he could still feel the imprint of the being inside of him. He gasped as if he was being chocked. She walked over to him, lifting his face from the chin so that he was looking at her. She bent down so that their faces were mere inches away. "Remember this, Marco. This is what you are meant to fight. I know you hear much of prophecies and destiny. But this being, is one outside the pull of fate. If it gets what it wants, your family, your friends, your loved ones. They will be at its mercy."

The environment around them started to fill with dark clouds, blocking all view of the stars around them. Lightning struck randomly, the thunder only a light roar. Ghost let go of him, standing up straight. Marco could feel his body start to calm down, but he was still breathing hard. He stood up, unsure of what to make of any of this. He found that he wasn't sure of anything anymore. He started to question so many things, but like always he was just following along. Why could he never say no in situations like these?

"Your irregular will be here in a moment." She said. Marco was silent, but a million thoughts were going through his mind. He had so many questions, things he wanted to know. Yet he could not make a word. Ghost must have sensed his curiosity. Looking back at him form the corner of her eye, she asked: "You have a question?"

"...Well..." Was he supposed to ask just one? He had so many, he didn't know which to choose. Going through the list, he chose the first one that came up. "What will happen when me and...my irregular merge?"

"Your soul will return to its original state. And when you return to earth, your body will reflect the state of your soul. You will no longer be a singular person, but the embodiment of both. You will be the stars, he will be the darkness that separates them, so that together you will wield the power of the universe." She said, raising a hand to the storm. "Your power will triple, and any ties with Arch Angel will be cut. At that point I will grant you one wish to use to your will."

"You're...giving me a lot of orders." Marco pointed out, although hesitantly. The last thing he wanted to do was make this girl angry. He also noticed what she said about a wish, but found it better not to say anything.

"I have ascended to a throne of power. I am the guardian, protector, and guider of earth. I can command the world to stop or the dead to rise. Simply put, in this realm, I'm close in power to one of the gods. Are your people not raised from birth to follow beings such as myself?" She said. Her hand made contact with the clouds, a red glow coming from where she was touching them as they parted.

"I don't think that-" he started, but soon cut himself off as the clouds separated completely, and he saw what they held.

Marco saw something in there, though he could not say what it was. It didn't look human, but it felt human. It had a rough outline of a person, but the body of it was pitch black. As she said, like the space between the stars. It was surrounded by a red aura, looking almost like it was engulfed in flames. Marco could do nothing but stare at the being, trying to decide what it was. He was afraid of it. All he wanted to do was leave, get away from whatever this was.

"This is the embodiment of all your deepest kept secrets and fears. If you wish to be strong enough to defeat the Red Death, you must accept this part of yourself. Face it. Defeat it. Only then will you gain the power that you seek." Ghost said. The being started to float towards him, and Marco froze. What exactly was he expected to do with this thing? She never told him what to do, she just said something vague like it explained everything.

 _This is some bull_ , Marco thought. The being continued to get closer to him. Soon enough, he was staring right into the space where there should have been eyes. It was only inches away from him, and Marco could practically feel the flames touch him. _This is going to hurt, isn't it?_

"Do not be afraid, Marco. It will only grow stronger from it. Conquer your fear, your short-comings. Only then will you be able to gain the power of the universe." Ghost said. "Place your hand on his chest, and face yourself."

Marco raised a shaky hand up, but found that he could not place it on the being's chest. The feeling of fear and the want to leave were just too great. He could barely face it, but to touch it was just too much. His instincts, his gut, that little voice in the back of his head. All of them were yelling at him to leave. And he wished so much that he could be somewhere else, anywhere else instead of here with this...thing. Was this what facing your inner darkness was supposed to feel like?

"Marco...Star is going to die." Ghost said. Marco's eyes widened in shock as what she said made its way into his brain, but he did not say a word, nor did he look away from the being. "Right now she is facing a being far stronger than her, and she does not have her wand to defend herself. Someone is coming to help her, but they will not be enough. If you don't do this, she will die. You must do this, to save your friend."

Marco hands shook a little more, fear and confusion racing around his body. He slowly started to comprehend what she was saying, trying to find his courage. _Come on, Marco! Star needs you! Are you just going to let her get hurt! She's your best friend! Hurry up and touch the thing already!_ His thoughts screamed at him, but his body was not moving. He needed time, time to comprehend, to adjust. But he did not have that time. Because right now, Star needed him to save her. After all the times he was saved, now she was in need of help. And he was too scared to move.

"She _will_ die, Marco!" Ghost said forcefully. Marco squinted his eyes closed, the effort to just keep his hand up in front of this being straining him. "Are you going to let her die?! What about everyone else! Everyone you know and love is in danger right now! If you don't do this, everyone you care about will die, especially her!"

A burst of anger and resolve rose up in him. He did not give himself time to think before he shoved his hand forward with a scream. His entire body was screaming at him to run, leave, go away. But he ignored his instincts, and he could feel the tip of his fingers graze the being. As soon as contact with the being was made, Marco blacked out. As he felt his consciousness give way, he could still hear the voice of Ghost talking in his ear.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star sat there, kneeling beside the lifeless body of her friend. Even as she sat there staring at him. Even as she saw the blood stop flowing. She still could not, would not believe that he was dead. The hole in his chest was not there. The blood on her hands was not there. The corpse of someone she used to know was not there. But reality started to set in, crashing in on Star's mind. Tears were falling uncontrollably from her eyes, staining her cheeks as they fell her cheek and landed on Kalahari's chest. She found that she couldn't look away from him, no matter how hard she tried. She felt that if she looked away, he would disappear.

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard as monster arm made it's way towards her, slowly but surely. Even as she looked down at Kalahari, she could feel monster arm approach her. Soon the shadow of him loomed over her. Still, she could not look away from her dead friend. As if simply looking at him could change what had happened.

" _Poor Star._ " His deep voice said from above him. " _Do you miss your friend that much? Well, for old times sake, I'll do you a favor._ " She felt him shift, and a pair of slimy hands being placed on her chin and forehead. " _I'll end it quickly, so you won't miss him_." Even as she felt his hands tense, she did not move. Maybe it was because of shock or fear, but she stayed frozen in that spot. She did not want to die. She was terrified of death, of what this monster was going to do to her.

But still she stayed frozen, her body refusing to move. She didn't even have time to feel afraid, it was going to be over that fast. She didn't even try to fight back. When she thought about it, it was kind of pathetic.

As monster arm chuckled, she could feel the readiness in his hands as he was about to finish it. Star closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. Suddenly, his hands were not on her face, the slimy texture gone. She kept her eyes closed, wondering if this was what death felt like. She didn't really know what she was expecting.

"Hey." Said an unfamiliar voice behind her. Opening her eyes, she saw that Kalahari's body was still laid in front of her. So she wasn't dead after all. She noticed there was still a shadow behind her, though she could tell it was not monster arm. She turned her head around slowly, the emotion of shock still stuck on her face. She saw a blonde haired man on a trench coat standing above her, one arm extended. "Please leave. Flyer will take that young man into a medical center that can help him. He's not dead yet."

"Yeah." Someone else said. Star looked in front of her to see a red-haired girl covered with green metal armor. She was carrying Kalahari in her arms bridal style as blood started to run down her. "He'll be fine. So either help fight that thing or leave. I don't care which." She rose up quickly into the air, at such a speed Star was afraid Kalahari's body would be broken because of the force. As they disappeared behind the clouds, what was going on started to sink in.

Star stood up quickly, facing where monster arm once was. There was a sizable boulder where monster arm was once standing. Star looked at the boy in the trench coat, wondering what was going on.

"My name is Ground-...Mason. My name is Mason." He said. "And despite what Chelsea said, I think it's better if you leave. This monster is extremely powerful, and I don't think it's wise for you to stay." Star couldn't answer. She was still trying to wind her head around what happened, that she stayed silent and tried to gather her thoughts.

Suddenly, the boulder erupted, rocks and dust flying everywhere. Mason looked away from Star and at the boulder, a look of determination in his face. The dust cleared, and monster arm stood there, a grin on his face.

" _Got another one in you? I barely felt that._ " Monster arm laughed, and Mason raised both hands, his face in a grimace. Obviously something about this monster was different from what he faced.

Monster arm crossed his arms in font of his body, crouching his legs in a squat. At first Star thought she heard him humming, but soon it increased in volume. He was to a low scream right now. Star was confused, but soon worry took over as she saw his body shifting. Her eyes widened as she saw his body start to...grow. His muscles started to bulge so that the suit he was wearing started to rip. He grew taller, and his screams increased in volume. Soon his body barely looked like it did before, the enormous mass of muscle the complete opposite of what it was before. But it didn't end there. Monster arm stood up straight without warning, and in one move brought his arms up above his head and forcefully slammed them down to his sides. As they made contact with his sides, he was screaming with all his power, the sound being produced demonic. His body had become three times as tall, and grew twice in width thanks to all the muscle. His scream quited down into nothingness, and all that covered his face was a sadistic grin.

"Leave! Now!" Mason yelled. Star guessed he was talking to her. But she couldn't. Even without her wand, she was not defenseless. She was powerless this whole time, but not anymore. She was not going to be the damsel in distress. Even against whatever just happened. She had seen monsters do something similar to this in the past, but never with results like this.

Monster arm charged at Mason, starting out in a full sprint. Mason cocked his left arm back and punched upwards. Suddenly, a boulder flew up from the ground right where monster arm was. Monster arm was launched into the air, spinning wildly. He landed a few feet further back, the ground cracking where his feet connected. He then charged again, this time going faster at Mason.

The blonde boy lifted both hands slowly up, his palms open. Small rocks and pebbles rose from the ground, too many for Star to count. Mason brought both his arms back and closed his hands into fist. He started to punch the air, a random rock following the action each time it was repeated. They flew at monster arm, and much to both of the hero's surprise, he was dodging every attack with scary, inhuman speed. Star could now add a list to people who were apparently stronger than her, even if she had her wand. She couldn't even follow monster arm's movements, only a glimpse here or there.

"Why-are-you-still-here?!" Mason yelled in rhythm with his punches. Right now, Star wasn't sure she could answer that question herself.


	25. (Pt1) Overcoming Guilt

(Marco's POV)

Marco's eyes fluttered open, yet he saw nothing. Nothing but the darkness surrounded him, yet he felt as if he was free. Marco tried to feel what was around him, but his hands met nothing but emptiness. There was no sound there, even the sound of his own breathing was muffled to him. the only thing seemed to exist here was darkness and the faint scent of copper. He didn't bother closing his eyes; that wouldn't have made a difference. Instead he just laid back in the emptiness and stared at nothing. He did not know if he simply had to wait for whatever it was he feared or if he was supposed to find it. He sighed, wondering what the darkest parts of him looked like.

"Hey." A voice said from behind him, and Marco froze. Guilt and shock was all he felt as he slowly turned and faced her.

"Janna." He said quietly. The tomboy looked just like he remembered her in life, beanie and everything. There wasn't a scratch or anything on her. It was as if what had happened to her simply...didn't. She looked at him with a small smile, and Marco started to feel himself tear up. He tried to ask her something, but he didn't know what to ask. And even if he did, the lump in his throat keeping him from making full statements. "What...how?"

"Yeah, kinda caught me off guard too. But...here I am." She said with a forced chuckle. Marco blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from falling out of his eyes. "Marco, can...can I ask you something?"

"...Y-...yeah." He said, still reeling from what was going on. The smile was still on her face, even as tears started to fall down on her cheeks.

"Do you like me?" She asked him. He blinked in surprise at the question, but answered without hesitation.

"Of course I do." He said. At the moment, he wasn't sure if that was the guilt speaking or the truth. Janna's smile stayed on her face for another moment, and for a shy second it looked genuine. But then it fell just as quickly, giving way to despair. Janna bent her head down and held her face, starting to sob into her hands. Marco quickly went over to her out of instinct.

There were questions about this, of course. How was she here? Why had she come here? What had brought her her? Was she really _her_? Of course, Marco wasn't asking himself these questions. He was more worried about Janna than the how or the why. He pulled her into a hug, and there was a warmth from her that you could only have if you were alive. He still did not question this however. He was too happy too. She was alive. He hadn't failed to save her.

"Is that all you care about?" Janna asked suddenly. Marco lost himself for a second in the confusion. "Whether or not you... _failed_ to save me?"

"Janna..." Marco started. Where was this coming from? Janna couldn't have...

Then he remembered where he was. Janna looked up at him, but it wasn't exactly _her_ anymore. Her skin was paler, her eyes glassed over. She had a look of anger on her face, and where tear marks once were blood streamed down her cheeks.

"Did you even care about me at all?" She asked, her face quivering. Marco did not feel fear, or disgust, nothing but shame was present. "If I were Jackie, or Star, would you have tried harder?"

"Janna, that's not fair, I tried as my hardest, I just..." He didn't know how to finish that. Janna pushed herself away from him.

"Fair? You think it's not fair?" Janna yelled at him. "What about me? I died, alone, in an alley. Is that _fair_ , Marco?"

"Janna, I'm sorry. I tried, I swear. I just...I wasn't fast enough." Marco said.

"Is that really what happened?" She said. "You can _stop time_ , Marco. Maybe, and stay with me here, if you had just stayed frozen in time, you could have saved me. Did you even think about that?" She asked. Marco was silent, not able to produce another sound. He roughly rubbed his eyes with both his hands, his tears starting to drip out. He breathed in, trying to make sure his breathing did not get out of control. After a moment of silence, he said.

"I had no idea what was going on. I was panicking, I wasn't thinking straight." He said. He looked Janna directly in her lifeless eyes. "I won't say it's completely my fault you died. But I did let you die. I'm sorry."

"You think an apology is just going to make this all go away?" Janna asked. Marco shook his head.

"Of course not. But it's a start." He said. He walked closer to her, looking down in to her eyes. "I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I couldn't save you...but I'm going to save everyone else. Because I can't let anyone else die."

"And how does that help me?" Janna asked.

"It doesn't." Marco said, feeling himself tear up again. "I don't know if anything can help you now. But I'll be damned if I don't try." And the he smiled, to the surprise of both of them. "You know, I know you're not actually her. But even if you aren't, you feel like her. And I promise you, I will make it up to you."

"You're making a promise to a girl that's already dead." The anger in Janna's voice was now gone. "What do you expect to accomplish this way?"

"If I'm being totally honest, I don't really know." Marco said. "But I'm figuring it out." Janna faced down,so that Marco couldn't see her face.

"I'm not going to forgive you." She said. Although that made him a little sad, Marco put his hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"I'm not asking you to. I'm asking for a chance to make it up to you." Marco said. Janna continued to face down, and Marco couldn't help but feel anxiety start to appear. He said nothing, and thought nothing. He just waited.

When Janna looked up, the blood was gone from her face. Her skin was back to it's natural color, her eyes full of color and life. She smiled brighter than he thought was possible at the moment.

"Okay." She said. Marco felt all the anxiety leave him, and he smiled back.


	26. (Pt2) Overcoming Fear

Marco was walking down a hallway. That's all he could tell so far. Looking around, he didn't see that much. It was a plain view. No windows, no doors. Just a repeating pattern over and over. There wasn't even any lights above him, but this place was bright. He had learned not to question it after a while. He had only been walking down this hallway for an hour, but it felt like a whole day.

He didn't know what was supposed to be down this way, but he knew it was something that had to do with him, at least. He sighed as he walked, wondering what was going to happen know. He didn't even realize he had gone into this hallway until he was already inside of it. He guessed that was the magic of this place.

"Marco?" He heard suddenly. _Here we go_ , He thought, looking to the source of the voice. In front of him stood most of the people he knew in his life. Star, his parents, Jackie, Alfonso, and Ferguson. The people closest to him. It suddenly dawned on him that he hadn't seen some of them in weeks. Marco found himself more confused than anything. _What are they all doing here?_

"Marco." His father said. "We need to talk."

"...All right." He said, walking closer to the group.

"...Do you know why we're here?" Jackie asked. Marco shook his head.

"But I'm going to have to face it, aren't I?" He asked.

"That's why you're here." Ferguson said. Marco sighed.

"You left suddenly, you know." Alfonso said. "You didn't even say goodbye."

"So that's it? I feel like I abandoned you." He looked at his parents. "I lied to you." He looked at Star. "I didn't even try to find you, did I? Is this about my guilt?"

"...You figured out that part pretty quickly." Star said, smiling awkwardly. Marco sighed. He hadn't spoken to them in weeks, and he rarely spoke to his parents when he was home unless he had to. He hated lying to them, so much so that he tried to stop talking to them all together just to avoid it. But all that did was make it worse for him, and them.

"I'm sorry. It was just...it was just something that I..." Marco didn't know what to say. "I never expected it to happen. And I couldn't bring myself to leave."

"Don't apologize." His mother said to him. "What you tried to do was a noble thing. You wanted to save lives and help people. But you didn't have to hide it from me and your father. If we were okay with you and Star fighting monsters almost every day, then we would be okay with this."

"...I know, mom." He said. "I just..."

"You wanted to protect us." Jackie finished for him. Marco's eyes widened as he looked at her. Her face was one of sympathy, but seriousness.

"Yeah. I did." He said. He looked at Star, knowing the peril she was in. "But some protector I made, huh?" Star looked at him with pity.

"Marco..." Star said.

"I know I'm probably being silly with this stuff." Marco said, frowning. "But I guess a little part of me thinks I can still save everyone...even though I know I can't."

"What happened to Janna, and what's happening right now...none of it is your fault." Star said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to take that responsibility on for yourself."

"I know, I know, but...I can't help to feel responsible in some way. Like it's all my fault." He said, looking away form her. "I guess it's just how I am now."

"You don't have to take the weight of everything that happens." His father said. "There are just some things that you can't control."

"Yeah...I know that." Marco said, defeated. He looked down at the ground to his left.

"You can't always protect everyone." Star said. "But you can fight by our side."

"...I'm not even sure I can do that anymore." He said. He looked down at his hands. Anywhere but where they were. "I have this power, and I know it's incredibly useful...but it's like every time I use it, things just end up worse."

"We can't tell you how to use your power Marco." Jackie said, stepping up to him. "But you haven't been using it for yourself. Maybe that's why it always turns out bad for you."

"Marco." Ferguson spoke. "Why didn't you talk to us after you joined Arch Angel?"

"I wanted to-" Marco started, but was soon interrupted.

"Protect us." Star said, taking her hand down. "We know."

"But that's not all, is it?" Alfonso said.

"...I don't know what you mean." Marco said, trying to appear confused.

"There's another reason, isn't there?" His mom asked him. He looked at her, his face neutral.

"...I don't know." Marco said, turning around and walking away, putting some distance between them.

"Marco, please remember." His father said. "You are not making peace with us. We are not here. You are making peace with yourself."

"You don't need to protect us, not right now." Jackie said. "Nothing you could say or do will hurt us."

"..." Marco stayed silent, trying to find the words for what he was feeling. But nothing he came up with sounded right. Every single sentence sounded like an excuse, and he didn't want to give an excuse. He wanted an answer. And that was the problem. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't give one.

"If you don't find your answer, you will never get past your guilt." Star said.

"...I was scared." He said.

"Of what?" His mom asked. Marco turned to them.

"Of...I don't know!" He yelled. "Hurting you? Being hurt? Changing?"

"You need to tell us why." Ferguson said.

"Of not being good enough!" He yelled. "I was changing, and I was scared to admit it! Because once I did, nothing could ever go back to the way it was!" He slapped his hands on his head, roughly moving his hands through his hair. "I was scared that I wouldn't be good enough to help you!" He threw his hands down. "And, guess what? I'm not."

"You are good enough." Star said, but he wasn't paying attention at this point.

"I'm scared of Dash! Of you guys being hurt! Of dying! Of you guys dying! Of my destiny, my powers! I'm goddamn terrified of it all! And I don't know what else to do but to go along, because I'm too damn scared of everything that's happening to do anything about it!" By this point he was breathing hard, trying to keep himself under control. He never broke down like that before. It was one of the few signs of what was really happening to him, how everything was going to play out. "And guess what?! It turns out, I can't even do anything about it! This is what's going to happen, whether I like it or not! I'm not even in control of my own life! I don't know what to do, even when everything's at stake! And it scares me! Is that what you wanted to hear?!"

He finally stopped, tears starting in his eyes. It was all coming out now. It was selfish, he knew. But that's still what it was, and he couldn't do anything to change it. He was supposed to save the world, but he couldn't even save a single person. He looked down with his eyes closed. His breathing was still a little ragged, his throat starting to stop up. He forced himself to calm down, but that didn't stop the feeling of shame and guilt.

Suddenly, he felt a warmth surround him, in the from of bodies. He opened his eyes to find himself in the middle of one big group hug. Everyone had their arms around him, squeezing him in tightly.

"Mijo, no one has all the answers." His father said. "And no one expects you to."

"You have to rely on others to figure out what to do next." Star said. "This just isn't something you can do on your own."

"You say think that pushing us away will keep us safe, but it only hurts you. And us." Jackie said.

"We know you don't know. The unknown always scares people." Alfonso said.

"That's why you need us now more than ever, to help you find yourself in all this un-surety." Ferguson.

"Because no matter what changes, no matter how big." Star.

"Your friends, your family." Dad.

"We will be by your side through it all." Mom.

Marco was silent, and closed his eyes tightly. Maybe that way they couldn't see the tears.

* * *

 **There will be one more chapter of Marco "overcoming" himself.**


	27. Guess Who's Back?

**There was only darkness.**

It was like he was asleep, but he wasn't. In a state of semi-consciousness, he floated there in the black space. He had faced his guilt and, his fear. What was next? What was supposed to happen now? He didn't know. But it was strangely...warm here. Kind of like he was in a blanket. It was...nice. Here he didn't have to worry about Dash, or his friends, or Arc Angel. There was no magic, no danger, no death. But there was no friends or family either. So it was very lonely. He hated being alone.

"... _Marco..._ " He heard. He became a little more aware as the voice spoke his name. He tried to focus on it, but it seemed to come from everywhere. He concentrated as much as he could, but the grogginess was clogging his mind.

" _...Marco..._ " There it was again. He became a little more aware. He fought against the forces in his mind pulling him back and keeping here. But he couldn't hold himself for long. He had to get free quickly.

" _...Marco..."_ He recognized that voice. It was scary. Who was it?

" _...hurry...Marco..._ " He didn't want to hurry. But he didn't want to stay. He liked the idea of staying less than what the voice was saying. He was slipping. But he had to hurry. He had to get free quickly.

" _...Be...free..._ " Get free.

" _...Be...free..._ " Get free.

" _Be_ _free."_ Get free.

"Be free." Get free.

 **"You're free."**

* * *

(Marco's POV)

Marco's eyes fluttered open, staring out into that strange yet familiar abyss of space. There was not that much light, so he didn't have trouble adjusting. Still, his head stung slightly, and he was really hungry. He sat up lazily, almost falling over. He stood up and tried not to fall despite his shaky legs.

"Welcome back." He heard her again. He over to the familiar dark being.

"Hey, Ghost." He said. For some reason, she wasn't as scary as before. Her eyes still had that deathly red glow, but...they were softer somehow. He didn't feel the same fear he did when he looked at her, although he was still a bit uneasy.

"Did you get through what you needed?" She asked. He nodded once.

"Yeah." He said. "So...what now?"

"You'll go back." She said. "I don't know when we will see each other again."

"...Really?" Marco said. "I don't know why, but...I guess I was expecting a little bit more." He said. He looked down to the earth, studying the continents and the way the tide moved. It was turning, he knew, but very slowly. So much so that he wouldn't have noticed it for a while.

"Is that so?" Ghost asked. She nodded and turned to face the planet as well. "It is human nature, I suppose. Your deepest fears, the thoughts that keep you up at night...you will have to face those on your own."

"Is that right?" Marco asked, glancing at her for only a moment. When he looked back at the planet, he noticed it had completely turned around. He blinked in surprise at the suddenness of what had just happened.

"Strange, yes? Although, it is a lesson many of you humans have yet to learn, I'm afraid. To think that such a species as yourselves, whose lifetime is already so limited, do not understand the nature of life, as opposed to me, who has all the time in existence. Ironic, I suppose."

"And what lesson is that?" Marco asked, not taking his eyes of the planet.

"Time...is not a friend to many." She said. "The moment you stop paying attention to it, so much will pass that you can not even comprehend the weight of it." Marco took the time to think on her words, all the while focusing on earth. He really didn't have anything to say to that.

"...Do you pity us?" He asked her. Another moment of silence from her.

"I suppose I do." She said. "But I am allowed to pity, are I not?"

"I think...in a way your right." He said. She did not answer that.

He wondered where Star was right now. Jackie. Alfonso. Ferguson. Mom. Dad. All of them. He had been gone from them so long, longer even in mind. He had cut himself off from them in order to protect them. But they just got hurt when he wasn't around. Maybe he should've came closer instead of farther. But what he could have done didn't mean anything now. Now, his best friend was in trouble, and he wasn't there to help her. So he had to hurry.

"I will give you this, Marco." Ghost said suddenly, bringing him out of his thoughts. "As a gift to you. Despite how...blunt I may be, I like you. You are one of the few truly pure-hearted humans I have met."

"...What is it?" He asked, on guard. She looked at him strangely, before letting out a low rhythmic noise form her throat.

"Why do you look so scared?" She asked.

"...Are you...laughing?" He asked, turning his body to face her with a dubious look on his face.

"Is it strange? I apologize, it has been...a long time since I have ever laughed. I am a bit out of practice." She said. "Here." She reached out and touched his forehead with a finger. A small black spark was seen, and the back of Marco's brain stung. He blinked, and the sting went away as soon as it had come, leaving with Ghost's finger.

"What did you do?" He asked. She gave him a small smile.

"I gave you a favor." She said. " Instructions to a man I knew a millennium ago."

"...Is he going to help me?" He asked. She glanced back at the planet for a second, her face back to the usual neutrality.

"Not you..." She said. She turned back to him. "When you find him, and learn what he can do, and the consequences of this...I hope you will at be at peace with your decision."

"...Should I ask what you're talking about?" He asked. Ghost shook her head.

"It's better for your sanity if you wait."

"..."

"And one more thing." She said. "Make sure to keep in touch." This time when she smiled, it seemed to reach her eyes.

"How do I do that?"

"Just say my name while thinking of my face, and I will appear."

"So you can...help me fight?"

"For fighting. Advice. Or simply to talk." She said. Marco raised an eyebrow in confusion. "This place is...very taxing. I do not enjoy existing alone in this plane. It is nice to have...friends." The word sounded foreign and unfamiliar coming from her, and Marco was became a little more sad at this fact. Just a couple of minutes in this place had him messed up in the head. To spend all that time here, alone...

He gave her the most comforting smile he could.

"All right. I will." He said. Ghost gave him a simple nod in response.

"That is all." She put a hand on his shoulder and gently shoved him a little to the side.

Without warning, he was flying through a black sky, the stars streaking past his vision as he spun in a sickening cycle. He had to work to Keep his vomit down.

* * *

(Star's POV)

Star stood behind Mason as he continued to punch rocks at Monster Arm. Boulder after boulder flew at the pink Marco-shaped monster, and it didn't seem to be moving that much, as it was hidden behind a wall of dust thrown in the air. Mason grunted with each punch, the physical and mental stress from his attacks taking a large toll on him.

Star never felt so useless in her life.

"Can-you-please-leave?!" He yelled as he threw punches. Star didn't answer him, as she continued to look at where the monster was located.

" _There's no where you can hide that I won't find you!_ " Monster arm yelled, jumping forward, bulleting through the shower of rubble. The rocks were now colliding with him harmlessly, disintegrating into small pieces as he kept forward. The Monster's mouth salivated as it ran, laughing uncontrollably.

Mason stopped punching and threw his hands in the air.

"SAND PRISON!" He yelled, and threw his hands down as his palms collided with the ground. The dirt shifted a moment, before suddenly shooting up in a large box shape. The sand surrounded Monster arm, causing it to stop in confusion. Mason threw his hands out to both sides, and then clapped his hands together violently. The sand crushed itself inward, trapping Monster Arm inside it.

" _AAaargh!_ " Monster Arm yelled unintelligibly as the sand trapped it, even filling it's throat and lungs through it's open mouth. The sand morphed to make a large orb, floating a foot above the ground, a small amount of unaffected sand falling off the sides and bottom.

"Star, you need to leave. NOW!" Mason yelled. Star blinked, his words finally reaching her ears.

"R-Right!" She stuttered, standing up. She was about to turn and leave when the sand exploded, and the purple monster flashed in and out of existence. It grabbed Mason by his throat and lifted the blonde man up. Mason chocked and grabbed the monster's wrist, as it laughed under him. That sickening smile it wore slightly strained.

" _A fruitless effort. But, if it's any consolation..._ " Its smile turned into a mask of pure anger, it's eyes widening a little as it talked. " _That hurt like hell._ "

Monster Arm threw him off to the side with a grunt of effort. Mason'd body flew with incredible speed, skipping along the ground about twenty feet away from them. He kept skipping for about ten more feet before he came to a stop.

" _Why do you guys always yell your attacks before you even do them? Not that smart, if you ask me._ " It said, chuckling to itself.

Star stood frozen in place, heart beating in her throat as she stared at the back of this monster. She couldn't force herself to move from that spot, even as Monster Arm turned slowly to look at her. It's mouthful of sharp teeth shined as it looked at her. She gulped audibly, as it stepped right in front of her. She was staring right at it's chest, and she couldn't force herself to look any higher than that.

 _I'm...I'm going to die..._ She thought, as Monster Arm started to speak. She was so scared that she couldn't even listen to what he was saying, her mind completely blank, as if preparing to deal with the amount if pain she was about to be put through. She didn't want to die like this. She still had something to do. She was too young. She was healthy. Her parents would be anger.

At this point her mind kept making up excuses to her about how this couldn't be happening, even as Monster Arm raised its claw. Even as she felt the retched breath from his completely cheery laugh.

She didn't move even when she felt the claw wrap around her throat. Even when tears fell from her eyes. Even when Monster Arm disappeared form view...

What?

Star blinked and flinched as she felt the light breeze of air. She whirled around, looking everywhere. At the ground at her feet was the claw that had been wrapping itself around Star's throat. It was connected to an arm, but nothing else was there.

"I didn't." That voice. It...it was...

Star looked up to see a kneeling Monster arm, nursing the wound on it's shoulder where it's arm was tore off. It's face was a mixture of pain and anger, breathing hard as it looked up at it's attacker. The man stood over it, dressed in all red spandex. He was a little taller, a little more toned than he was a few weeks ago. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, staring intently down at the monster below him. She almost didn't recognize him.

Almost.

"...Marco?"


End file.
